A New Beginning
by crazyabouthp17
Summary: Same characters, different world - some new ideas I wanted to write. When Alison's body is found after 10 years of being missing, the investigation is the beginning of a whole new nightmare for everybody's favourite Rosewood teens. T - may go up to M
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! This is a new story and it's a complete AU of PLL. Basically I really love the characters and their relationships, but I had some new ideas I wanted to try writing. Some of the characters will be pretty OOC so if you don't like it, don't read, but if you do, drop me a review and let me know :) x**

Everybody looks up as they walk down the hallway. There are 4 of them and they all have secrets but that's not why people stop and stare. People look because all 4 of them are shockingly, stunningly beautiful. They are dressed the same as everybody else, in the same grey skirt, white blouse and black jumper with a grey blazer, but somehow they stand out.

On the far left is a tall blonde named Hanna Marin. Her hair is in loose curls on her shoulders and she is wearing a gold chain around her neck and tiny diamond studs in her ears. She is wearing a jumper that is too small and clings to her chest, her blazer is cropped so it ends at her waist, and somehow she has managed to make the boring school skirt high-waisted, so that when she bends over, everyone gets a good look at her lacy briefs. She is wearing knee high white socks and strappy black heels and she carries a Prada bag with a flowery scarf tied around the handle.

Next to her is a tall brunette called Spencer Hastings. Her hair is in a loose Dutch plait resting on one of her shoulders and she is wearing a necklace with her boyfriend's name on it. She is wearing the uniform as it is meant to be worn, but her skirt is shorter than normal and she is wearing shiny black heels. She has a massive bag hanging on her arm, and is carrying four folders full of school work. She has badges on the lapel of her blazer, which indicate her titles as 'Senior Class President' and 'Debate Team Captain'.

On the far right is another tall brunette, whose legs seems to go on forever, called Emily Fields. She has her hair up in a messy bun and is wearing the uniform with a tiny skirt, black sneakers and long white socks. She is carrying a beige school bag over one arm, with two sports bags over the other and has a pair of headphones hanging around her neck.

In the middle is a tiny girl with long ombre hair called Aria Montgomery. She is wearing giant feathery earrings and a long necklace with a big charm on it. Her school skirt is extremely short, and fastened with a giant statement safety pin, and she is wearing knee high grey socks with strappy black stilettos. Her blazer is cropped and the sleeves are rolled up to reveal the tartan lining. She has a black Ted Baker bag over one arm and is tapping away on her phone frantically.

"Girls, get to class please," a teacher says as he passes, but they ignore him, gathering around a locker.

"What have you got first period, Han?" Spencer asks, drumming her hand on her folder.

"English," Hanna says, checking her schedule as she throws several books into her locker. "Heard the new teacher is a right sort – he's our new homeroom teacher too."

"Oh really?" Emily says, winking at her boyfriend across the hall. "I'm not in AP English this term though, hope I still get him. What about you Aria? Are you in AP?"

"Huh?" Aria says, finally looking up from her phone. "What's up?"

"Who are you kidding?" Hanna says. "Of course Aria's in AP English, she's practically a professional writer already."

"Oh yeah, I am," Aria says, looking down at her phone and starting to type again.

"Who are you texting at this time of the day?" Spencer asks, peering at Aria's phone over her shoulder. "Have you got a new boyfriend?"

"No," Aria says, but she moves her phone out of Spencer's line of sight. "No, not really, I just met this guy yesterday and we've been chatting a little bit."

"A little bit?" Hanna says, tugging the phone out of her hands. "God, Aria, desperate much? How many messages have you sent him in the last 24 hours?"

"I don't know, a lot," Aria shrugs. "He text me first though, it's not like I'm the one looking uber keen."

"Let me see," Emily says, taking the phone off Hanna. "Babe, did you sleep with this guy already?!"

"No!" Aria says, grabbing her phone back. "Look, I met him in the college bar yesterday and we just got talking. He's really smart, he likes to write, he's got good taste in music and he's so good looking."

"And…?" Spencer says. "Did you hook up with him in the bathroom?"

"How did you know that?" Aria says, blushing as she shoves her phone into her bag.

"Because I know you," Spencer laughs. "How old is he?"

Aria blushes again now and Hanna turns on her. "Is he a lot older?" she asks.

"Well he's finished college so…" Aria says and all three of the girls gasp.

"Aria, you've got to stop this," Emily says. "Find a nice high school guy. I heard Noel Kahn wants to ask you out."

"That's not true and you know it," Aria says. "And besides we've known Noel since we were three, Em; me and you dressed him up as a princess. He's my best friend in the entire world; if he wanted to ask me out, he'd do it. But how could I ever date him?"

"That is a good point," Emily laughs. "But still, there are plenty of guys around here who would give their right arm to date you."

"Whatever," Aria says, rolling her eyes. "It's just because the rest of you are all coupled up."

"Well you need to get a boyfriend so we can go on squad dates," Spencer says. "Speaking of which, Em, is Ben coming this weekend?"

"Nah, he's training," Emily says. "So Aria can come instead?"

"On a triple date with those two?" Aria says, sticking her tongue out at Hanna. "No thank you."

"We're not that bad," Hanna says, grinning as she thinks of Sean. "Okay, we are, but you're just bitter because you're alone."

"I'm not bitter," Aria says. "I'm perfectly happy being single, I just wish you guys would stop bugging me about it."

"Alright, alright," Spencer says. "We're gonna be late to homeroom if we don't hurry up."

"We're always late to homeroom," Emily says.

"Yes, but we have that new teacher," Spencer says. "Will you come on?"

"Come on, Han, before that vein in Spencer's forehead pops," Aria says. Hanna laughs as she slams her locker shut and follows the girls down the corridor, their heels clicking against the tiles. They walk quickly down to their homeroom and slip into their seats, in a square formation at the back of the room, just before the teacher comes in. He is texting on his phone, and he sends a message before slipping his phone into his pocket and looking up at the class.

Less than a second after he sends the text, Aria's phone pings, and she blushes as she glances up at him with concern. He meets her eye disapprovingly and his entire face falls. "And you are?" he says clearly.

"Aria Montgomery," she says, blushing scarlet.

"Well, Miss Montgomery, you can see me after class," he says. Everybody in the room gasps under their breath but Aria simply nods, drops her phone into her bag and pulls out her notepad.

"Right, hello everyone," the man says. "My name is Mr. Fitz and I'm your new English teacher. I'll be taking you for homeroom as well so if you could all give me a wave when I say your name, that would be really helpful."

Half an hour he dismisses the class. Spencer, Hanna and Emily leave last, shooting Aria sympathetic looks as she gets up and heads up to his desk. "Hey," she says awkwardly.

"What the hell?" he says. "You said you were in college."

"I did no such thing," Aria says, smiling. "I said I was thinking about majoring in English. I never lied to you."

"Oh really?" he says. "So you really took time out to travel Europe?"

"Yep," Aria says. "I mean technically it was just summer vacation, but I went with my family, and we did a massive European tour for three months. Ezra, I swear I didn't lie to you."

"You can't call me that anymore," he says. "What happened yesterday never happened, do you understand?"

"Pretty sure it did though," Aria says. "Look, I'm not going to tell anyone I made out with the hot new English teacher, you don't have to worry."

"I would get arrested, Aria," he says. "Please tell me you understand."

"I do," she says simply. "I thought we had something special though."

"I did too," he sighs eventually. "But it doesn't matter, it has to be over now."

"It doesn't have to be over," Aria says, tutting. "Live a little, Ezra, take a couple of risks."

"I'm not a child anymore," he snaps. "I need this job."

"No you don't," Aria says. "Maybe you should take the risk. Might be the push you need to get you to start writing again."

"No, Aria," he says firmly. "You need to delete my number."

"I will do no such thing," she teases. "What if you need a little booty call one night?"

He bites his lip, grinning, and pauses. She sits down on the edge of his desk and crosses her legs, flashing him her panties as she does so. "Give it a chance," she says lightly. "No-one has to know."

"You're playing with fire," he says, grinning broadly.

"I know," she beams. "And you love it. Come on, Ezra – if I were just a couple of months older, there would be nothing wrong with it."

"But you're not," he says, clearing his throat. "This can't happen, Aria. Not ever. Now get to class – I'm going to write you a late pass."

"Um, Ezra," she says as he fumbles through his piles of stuff. "I have you first period."

"Oh," he says, glancing at the door, where he can see a line of people waiting. "Okay, well then take your seat, Miss Montgomery, and I'll invite the rest of the class in."

Aria heads back to the back of the classroom and immediately Hanna and Spencer rush into the room, taking seats on either side of her. "What did he say?" Spencer hisses. "That looked intense."

"Nothing," Aria says, shrugging. "You know me, I'm a real smooth talker. I got him onto the topic of the reading list and he completely forgot to give me a punishment for the phone thing."

"That didn't look like a discussion about the reading list," Hanna whispers. "He looked angry. And did you flash him at one point?"

"Girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do," Aria murmurs, laughing under her breath. "No big deal. Are we meeting Emily after first period?"

"Yeah," Hanna mutters. "Oh and I forgot to mention – my mom wants you all to come to dinner at the new restaurant tonight."

"On a school night?" Aria says, pretending to be scandalised. "However will Spencer get all her assignments done?"

"Shut up you," Spencer hisses, nudging her. "Will your dad let you come? Or are you still grounded?"

"Nah, I got paroled yesterday," Aria replies. "He's never been so angry though, honestly."

"You did get caught making out with his teaching assistant in the college bell tower," Spencer says fairly. "What is it with you and older guys, eh?"

"I think it's authority figures," Aria teases. "Anyway, he'll let me come to dinner with you lot, so it should be fine. Are you bringing Sean and Alex or have we got a boyfriend-free night for once?"

"Well Sean is heading down to Kentucky to see his brother at college," Hanna says. "Spence, what's Alex up to?"

"He's on a job," Spencer says, rolling her eyes. "In Pittsburgh. So no, he's not coming."

"Aw okay so we can have a girls' night!" Aria says happily. "Shall we hit up a club after?"

"I know you were teasing before, but it actually is a school night," Spencer says. "Plus you do not need to be caught breaking your curfew so soon after your dad pardoned you."

"Spence's right," Hanna says. "We can go this weekend though?"

"No, you guys are going to dinner," Aria says, rolling her eyes. "Eh, I'll head out on my own."

"Don't be silly," Hanna says. "We can cancel, go to dinner another time. Em's already had to bail anyway and it won't be as fun without you two there. We'll hit up a club instead."

"Actually that does sound better," Spencer says. "Saturday night good?"

"Yeah, do you want to get ready at mine?" Hanna asks. "We'd better not let your parents know where we're going, huh Aria?"

"Nah, probably not," Aria says, grinning as she starts to take notes. She's ignored him thus far as he's done his introductory spiel, but now he's actually started teaching, she can't deny that she's interested in what he has to say. No matter how awkward the situation between them may be, she loves his subject and wants to learn from him.

"Mr. Fitz," Aria says, knocking on his door quietly.

"Ah, Miss Montgomery, what can I do for you?" he asks, glancing out of the window to see if anyone is watching.

"I just wanted to apologise for earlier," she says, closing the door behind her. "It was irrational of me to proposition you like that, I just…I haven't enjoyed talking to someone like that in a long time."

"Me either," he says quietly. "But we can't, Aria. Maybe in the future, when the situation changes, but right now…"

"Yeah," she says, stepping closer to him. "I wanted to thank you for last night too. I had a great time."

"So did I," he says, moving even closer to her. Her eyes flick down to his lips and then she grins, moving even closer, kissing him on the cheek and then heading for the door. "Aria," he says, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a deep, hungry kiss.

Half an hour later, Aria walks into the restaurant and drops into a seat beside Emily. She has changed into a strapless black skater dress, a chunky neon yellow belt and matching stilettos. All of the other girls have changed too. Hanna is wearing a pale blue ruffled shirt, tiny black shorts and black open-toed heels. Emily is wearing a tight leather skirt and a backless red top with knee high leather boots. Spencer is wearing a white vest top tucked into a red tartan skirt with knee high white socks and black heels. "Where have you been?" Hanna hisses. "My mom thought you bailed, she's really upset."

"I'm sorry, I got caught up in something," Aria says, blushing. "Is she in the kitchen? I'll go and apologise."

"Yeah, she's in there," Hanna says.

Aria springs up from her seat and hurries into the kitchen. "Mrs Marin?" she says loudly. "Are you in here?"

"Aria, you're here!" Ashely Marin says brightly, hugging the small brunette. "It's so good to see you, darling, how are you?"

"I'm great, Mrs Marin," Aria says, smiling fondly. "How about you? The place looks great; you've really worked wonders."

"Well I couldn't have done it without Spencer's Alex – do you know if he's coming?" Ashley says.

"He's not," Aria says, shaking her head. "He's on another job tonight apparently, but I'm sure he sends his love."

"What about the other boys?" Ashley asks, linking her arm through Aria's. "Sean and Ben? Hanna didn't say anything about them."

"Apparently Sean is headed to Kentucky tonight," Aria says. "And you know Ben, he's probably training."

"And what about you, honey?" Ashley asks. "Any boys catching your eye? It would be nice for you to settle down for a while."

"You've been speaking to my parents then," Aria says, folding her arms.

"I have, but I'm not going to lecture you," Ashley says. "God knows, I fooled around enough in my day. I just think you could find a really lovely high school boy and be very happy. What about Noel Kahn?"

"I'm happy now, Mrs Marin, honest," Aria says. "And I'm pretty sure that Noel Kahn has a girlfriend so I wish everybody would stop suggesting him to me."

"Alright," Ashley says. "Are you staying at ours tonight?"

"No, my parents want me home," Aria says. "I think on Saturday though?"

"Well you're welcome anytime," Ashley says. "I better get back to the kitchen, but you order whatever you like, on the house."

"Now now, that's no way to run a restaurant," Aria teases. "Thanks, Mrs Marin." She hugs Hanna's mom again and then heads back over to their table to join her friends.

"I can't believe how much my mom loves you," Hanna says, laughing.

"Eh, I'm like a second daughter to her but without all the bad bits," Aria teases. "How is she doing though? Did you tell her about your dad and Isabelle?"

"I didn't," Hanna frowns.

"Oh, Han, you have to," Spencer says, looking up from her phone. "You don't want her to hear it from somebody else."

"I know, I know," Hanna says. "As soon as they schedule the wedding, I'll tell her. Until then, I can pretend it's not happening. What about you, Em? When is your dad due home?"

"Couple of weeks hopefully," Emily says. "Mom said they want him to extend his tour but he's really trying to get out of it."

"He's been gone a long time," Aria says. "When was the last time you saw him?"

"March?" Emily says. "I don't actually know; it might have been as far back as Christmas."

"Will he be home for Thanksgiving this year?" Hanna asks. "Because my mom suggested that all four of our families got together at our cabin and did a massive meal?"

"That's a good shout," Aria nods. "I'll mention it to my mom – usually we go up to see her sister but since they're fighting, I think we'll be free."

"Yeah, I don't see why we couldn't do it," Spencer says. "Melissa said she'd be back for Thanksgiving with her new boyfriend so I think I'd have to invite Alex to avoid all the snide comments. Would you bring Sean, Han?"

"Yeah, if he's not too busy with his family," Hanna says. "What about you, Em? Would Ben come?"

"He might," Emily shrugs. "How about you, Aria? You could bring your mystery man."

"Definitely not," Aria laughs. "That's not a thing, and even if it was, I can't imagine him going down very well with my parents."

"I can't imagine anyone going down well with _your_ parents," Spencer says. "Except…"

"If you say Noel Kahn, I swear to God I'm going to throw this breadstick at your head," Aria threatens.

"Don't waste them," Hanna says. "They're really good!"

"They are," Aria laughs. "So, what's the back to school goss?"

"I heard Courtney Holt had lipo over summer vacation," Emily says quietly and all the girls turn on her.

"What?!" Hanna says. "Are you kidding? That's major news!"

"I didn't see her today," Aria says, thinking hard. "Is it noticeable?"

"Very," Emily says.

"Wow," Spencer says. "God, her parents must be loaded."

"I don't think so," Hanna says. "Have you seen her sneakers? They're a mess, they're falling apart."

"Yes, but I have a pair of sneakers like that," Aria says fairly. "It's sentimental, I can't bring myself to throw them away."

"You really should, you know," Spencer says. "You've got like a million pairs; you do not need a pair of old sneakers as well."

"Yes but that's beside the point," Hanna says. "Aria, you don't wear your sneakers, you just keep them. She wears hers which means she doesn't have another choice."

"Well maybe she sold all her other shoes to pay for the lipo," Aria laughs. "What else… oh did you see that Sam is back from military school?"

"No," Emily gasps. "I didn't think they were ever gonna let him back!"

"I thought they swore they wouldn't," Spencer says. "I mean, he's dangerous, right?"

"He definitely is," Hanna says. "He's a psycho, I don't get it."

"Whatever, we're hardly gonna see him," Aria says. "He's just come back to finish his diploma and then he's off."

"How do you know that?" Emily asks.

"I spoke to Mom," Aria says. "Did you guys see that she was subbing today?"

"Oh of course," Spencer says. "Hanna, did Mrs Hernandez give you a detention?"

"No," Hanna tuts. "But she did say that I had to help out on the yearbook."

"God really?" Aria says disapprovingly. "Where are you gonna find time for that? In between Homecoming and college applications?"

"I know, right?!" Hanna says. "Honestly, Spence, I don't know how you do it."

"I don't sleep," Spencer teases. "Have you picked out your dresses yet? For homecoming?"

"Yeah, I found something when I was in New York this summer," Aria says. "What about you, Em? You need me to come shopping with you?"

"Nah, my mom came with me last weekend and we found the perfect dress," Emily says.

"Really?" Aria says, beaming. "I'm so excited to see it! Hanna?"

"Yes, I've got my dress, it's just everything else I need to worry about," Hanna says honestly. "I don't have any shoes."

"Oh, don't start that again," Spencer says. "Look, between you and Aria, I'm pretty sure you've got 1000 pairs of shoes – you must be able to find something."

"Yeah, look, if you wanna come round to mine tomorrow evening and raid my closet, that's totally fine," Aria says. "And if not, I'll come shopping with you."

"I might take you up on that actually," Hanna says, nodding.

"But that's not the important thing," Emily says. "Aria, who are you gonna take?"

"No-one," Aria shrugs. "I'll go stag."

"You can't go stag to Homecoming!" Hanna squeals. "Look, I know you're not interested in him, but maybe you should think about taking Noel Kahn."

"Don't tear her head off," Spencer jumps in as Aria opens her mouth. "Look, all we're saying is that if you take Noel Kahn, you can get your parents off your back and give it a try all in one go."

"Wow," Emily says.

"What?" Aria says, looking around and trying to follow Emily's line of sight.

"Nothing," Emily says. "Just…speak of the devil!" She points over Hanna's left shoulder to where Noel has just walked into the restaurant.

"Go and say hello," Hanna hisses to Aria. "You were late, this is your punishment, go and say hello."

"It's no punishment, but fine," Aria says, getting up and bouncing over to Noel's side.

"Aria," he says, leaning in and kissing her on both cheeks. "How are you, my darling?"

"Very well thank you," Aria says brightly. "How was your vacation? Mom says you went to Haiti to build houses?"

"Yeah, did Em not tell you?" Noel says, glancing over her shoulder. "I bumped into her once or twice."

"Oh that must have been nice," Aria says. "A friendly face down there?"

"Yeah it was," Noel says, nodding. "It was a really amazing experience – you should come next time!"

"Yeah, I'll definitely think about it," Aria says. "So were you there the whole summer? When did you get back?"

"Only a few days ago," Noel says. "So I'm still pretty wrecked, but I'm getting my energy back. I was thinking about heading out Saturday night if you wanna come?"

"Actually we were gonna go out Saturday night!" Aria says brightly. "So we'll probably see you?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Noel nods. "And did I mention I'm having my annual cabin party the weekend before Homecoming?"

"You didn't, but I will definitely be there," Aria grins. "You know I never pass up the opportunity to party."

"That much I do know," Noel laughs. "Are you excited about Homecoming? Who are you taking?"

"Nobody asked me," Aria says coyly.

"A beautiful girl like you?" Noel says. "You know what that is?"

"No, what?" Aria says.

"You make them nervous," he whispers.

"Oh?" she giggles. "Do I make you nervous, Noel?"

"Not at all," he says confidently.

"So ask me," Aria says.

"Will you be my date to Homecoming?" he asks and she grins.

"Sure," she says, leaning in and kissing him deeply. He grins into the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth and then when she pulls away, he blushes. "I better get back to my friends; I'll see you Saturday?"

"Definitely!" he says, grinning broadly. "Bye, Aria."

Aria walks smoothly back over to the table and drops into her seat, where immediately all the other girls start talking. "Whoa whoa whoa," she laughs. "One at a time, please!"

"You are such a tease," Spencer says, poking her with a breadstick. "He really thinks you're interested in him, poor guy!"

"Did he ask you to Homecoming?" Hanna hisses. "Or did you ask him?"

"I invited him to ask me," Aria shrugs. "And he did."

"What else did he say?" Emily asks.

"He said he's going out Saturday night," Aria says, thinking. "He said he's having his annual cabin party the weekend before Homecoming and…oh he said he saw you – in Haiti?"

"Oh yeah I forgot about that," Emily says. "He was on a different crew; I hardly saw him."

"Yeah he did say that," Aria nods. "Hanna, did you see Claudia Stram in Trig today?"


	2. Chapter 2 : Noel's House Party

2

Three weeks later, Aria is walking through town. She is wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt, with a black and white striped ¾ length sleeved jumper and black leggings and black boots. "Yes, Mom, I'll pick up some Chinese," she says. "No, I know, I was just hoping you could pick me up, because it's starting to rain and I- Yeah, never mind, stupid idea. Okay, I'll be home in half an hour."

Aria hangs up the phone, pops into the Chinese takeaway, and then starts to walk home, just as the heavens open. She looks up at the sky disapprovingly and starts to speed up, but suddenly she realises she's not getting wet anymore. She glances up and does a double take as she sees Ezra Fitz walking alongside her, holding his umbrella over her head. "You don't have to-" she begins, but he cuts her off.

"Turn left here," he says. "I'll drive you home."

"You really don't have to," she says. "I'll be fine walking."

"Don't be silly, Aria," he says gently. "It's pouring. Let me drive you home."

"Okay," she says, looking up at him through her eyelashes. They walk quickly to his car and hop in, driving to her house with her only occasionally breaking the silence to direct him.

"Ezra," she begins as he pulls into a parking bay three streets over. He shakes his head, leaning over and kissing her hungrily. She leans up into the kiss, letting him pull her over and onto his lap. They make out for about ten minutes before Aria pulls away. "The food is going to get cold and my mom's going to wonder where I am."

"Yeah, you should go," Ezra says quietly.

"Can I…can I see you again?" she asks.

"I don't know," Ezra murmurs. "You should be seen spending time with your classmates."

"Well I'm going to Noel Kahn's party tomorrow night, but I could stop by after?" she suggests.

"I don't know, Aria. That might not be a good idea," he begins and she pulls away, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, Ezra, well you let me know when you make up your mind," she says.

"Wait, Aria, please," he says, but she shakes her head.

"No, Ezra, just stop," she says sharply. "I want to be with you. I want this, I really do, but I am so tired of you blowing hot and cold with me. So I'm gonna go and you just call me when you've made up your mind either way. I think I deserve a final answer."

"Yeah you do," he says slowly. "I'll see you on Monday, Aria."

"Bye, Ezra," she says quietly, climbing out of the car and hurrying away.

"Hanna, let's go!" Spencer shouts up the stairs. She is wearing a blue skater dress with a chunky brown belt and matching boots and is pouring four shots of Sambuca out.

"Coming!" Hanna says, trotting down the stairs. She is dressed in a red bandage dress and massive black heels. "Why are you shouting at me when Aria and Emily aren't ready either?"

"I am ready!" Emily objects, coming out of the bathroom. "I just had to pee, which takes _so_ long in this outfit!" She is wearing a sky blue jumpsuit with a black belt, matching leather jacket and heels.

"What about Aria?" Hanna asks. "Have you seen her?"

"Give me a minute!" Aria shouts from upstairs as she checks herself out in the mirror, bending over to check her cleavage. She is dressed in a black bustier, a black mini skirt with yellow flowers on it and black heels. "Spence, have you got my flask?"

"Yes, now hurry up!" Spencer shouts. "Alex's already text me 4 times asking where we are."

"Well tell your boyfriend he can live without you for a couple of hours," Aria tuts, hurrying downstairs.

"We should get going though," Emily says. "The party started ages ago."

"Well then we'll make a dramatic entrance," Hanna says brightly. "Besides, you know a party doesn't really get started until we arrive."

"Too true," Aria says, hi-fiving her.

"Well the cab's waiting so we need to go," Spencer says, downing her shot and shepherding the other girls to the front door.

Half an hour later, they step out of the cab outside Noel's cabin in the woods. They walk into the house and immediately everybody stops talking as they assess the girls' outfits. "Ah, Miss Aria, so nice of you to join us," Noel says. "Girls, a pleasure. Let's get you all a drink."

"Thanks but I need to find Alex," Spencer says. "Good to see you, Noel, let's catch up in a bit."

"Yeah, I should find out what Ben is up to," Emily says. "Have you seen him?"

"He's in the game room," Noel says, kissing Spencer on the cheek as she walks past and hugging Emily tightly.

"Is Sean here yet?" Hanna asks, kissing Noel quickly. "Or Lucas, that guy from the yearbook?"

"Sean isn't here," Noel says. "But that guy, Lucas, is over there in the corner. Aria, drink?"

"Sure," Aria says, leaning into hug him. He hugs her tightly, lifting her off the floor and she hooks her legs around his waist, kissing him lightly. "It's good to see you, Noel."

"You too," Noel says, grinning. He puts her down and grabs her hand, leading her into the kitchen.

Hanna watches the girls disperse in different directions and then heads over to Lucas. "Hey, you're Lucas, right?" she says and he looks up at her in surprise.

"Yes," Lucas says nervously.

"Okay, great," Hanna says brightly. "I'm Hanna Marin."

"Yes I know who you are," Lucas says. "Why are you talking to me?"

"Oh I'm sorry, are you busy?" Hanna says, shocked at his rudeness.

"No, I just… The popular girls don't talk to us," he says. "They talk to the popular boys, like Noel Kahn. And apparently they hook up with them too."

"Excuse me?" Hanna laughs. "Have you got a problem with Aria hooking up with Noel?"

"No, it's just very predictable, that's all," Lucas says. "Just like you coupling up with Sean Ackard and Emily Fields coupling up with Ben Coogan."

"Alright, well I didn't actually come over here to be told how completely boring and predictable I am," Hanna says politely. "Mrs Hernandez asked me to help you on the yearbook."

"And you thought this would be a good place to talk about it?" Lucas says scathingly.

"Okay, clearly you are not in the right frame of mind to talk about this now," Hanna laughs. "Where can I find you on Monday?"

"In the yearbook office," Lucas says. "Obviously."

"Alright," Hanna says. "Nice to meet you, Lucas."

"We've met," Lucas says. "You walk past my locker every day. And you look straight past me."

"I don't…" Hanna trails off.

"I know you don't notice me," Lucas says. "You and your squad of bitches don't notice anyone else apart from the hot boys, or the people you bitch about. Do you even see the looks you get in the hallways?"

"Of course I do," Hanna says. "I just don't care, I'm at school to pass my exams just like everybody else."

"Yeah, but you don't eat your lunch in the toilets," Lucas says. "You eat in the centre of the cafeteria with everybody watching you and wishing they were you and envying you. You are not like everybody else."

"Maybe not," Hanna says. "But I don't ask for the attention."

"Yeah right," Lucas says, rolling his eyes. "Go and find your jock boyfriend and leave me alone."

"Fine," Hanna says. "See you Monday."

She walks away, bewildered, and hurries into the kitchen, where Aria is sitting on the counter, her legs wrapped around Noel's waist, making out perfectly happily. "Aria," she says, rushing over. "Can I talk to you please?"

"Of course," Aria says. "Noel, I'll catch up with you later."

"Sure," he says, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to go and find Spence and Alex."

"Good idea," Aria grins, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "What's up, Han?"

"I was just talking to that guy, Lucas," Hanna says. "And he completely slated all of us. Like tore us to shreds."

"What, why?" Aria says, glancing up from her phone. "I don't even know Lucas. Who is he?"

"Apparently his locker is just down the hall from ours?" Hanna says, shrugging. "I don't know but I don't get it. I don't think I've ever been outright rude to anyone in the school? Like I don't go out of my way to be horrible?"

"Nah, don't worry about it," Aria shrugs. "We bitch sometimes but I bet we're the most bitched about girls in the school so I don't feel guilty about it. And we're never horrible to anyone, really, Hanna."

"That's what I thought," Hanna says. "But he hates us."

"Loads of people hate us," Aria says. "But not because of anything we've done. It's just jealousy. Please don't let it get to you. Just go and find Sean, have a good night."

"What are you gonna do?" Hanna asks. "Find Noel? Considering you're not interested in him, you two seem to getting off a lot?"

"You know we've been best friends forever," Aria says. "And I love him and I'm attracted to him and I'll definitely get off with him if I'm up for it but there's no mystery there, no excitement. I don't want boring, I don't want predictable, and I really don't want my parents to be happier with my relationship than I am."

"So what are you gonna do now?" Hanna asks.

"I actually have to go," Aria says. "Remember I told you my mom had her museum opening tonight? She needs some help."

"Oh do you want me to come?" Hanna says. "I can gather up the girls?"

"No, don't worry about it," Aria says. "I'm just gonna say bye to Noel and go."

"Alright, I'll tell the others," Hanna says. "Go and find Noel."

Aria nods, hugs Hanna and then hurries through to the game room, where Noel is watching Alex and Ben play foosball. "Noel?" she calls and he turns to her with a grin.

"You wanna go somewhere?" he suggests.

"I do," she begins, "but I have to go and help my mom with her museum opening. Can I get a rain check?"

"If you give me a little kiss before you go," he says, leaning in. She grins, kisses him lightly and then disappears, calling a cab and driving away.

"You came," Ezra says, shocked.

"I did," Aria says. "You asked me to."

"You look amazing," Ezra says. "Oh, did you leave the party?"

"I did," Aria says. "I know you said to come after but I just couldn't wait. I needed to know what you were thinking."

"Come in then," he says. "Make yourself at home."

She sits down on the sofa and raises an eyebrow at him. He hesitates for a moment, glancing between the armchair and the spot next to her, before finally settling down beside her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can," Aria says, wriggling in beside him.

"Did you kiss anyone tonight?" he asks and her face clears.

"Yes, I did," Aria says. "I made out with Noel Kahn, like I always do. We're not a couple, Ezra, I'm allowed to make out with whoever I want. But the second you say you want to date me, it will stop. I swear that."

He pauses for a long time as Aria watches him expectantly. "It bothers me," he admits. "I didn't think it would, but it really bothers me, the idea of you kissing other guys. And I have so many reservations about us, but I want to try and make it work. If you…"

"I do," she says gently, leaning up and kissing him hungrily. He smiles into the kiss, slipping his tongue inside her mouth and pulling her onto his lap. Just then her phone pings and she pulls away, checking it quickly. "Oh shit," she says. "I've got to go."

"What, now?" he says, surprised. "You can't stay a bit longer?"

"No, I think Hanna and Sean broke up and the girls are heading to my mom's museum exhibition," she says. "I said I was working there to get out of the party, and unless you want me to tell them, they can't know I'm not there."

"Okay, you should go then," Ezra says.

"Can I come back tomorrow?" she asks.

"I would love that," he says. "Goodbye Aria."

"Bye, Ezra," she says, kissing him once more before she hurries out of the door.

"Where are you?" Spencer hisses into her phone. "Why aren't you at the museum?"

"I'm here," Aria lies thickly. "Where are you?"

" _I'm_ here," Spencer says. "We all are, so don't lie. Where are you?"

"I'm round the corner, I swear," Aria says. "Will you meet me at Mrs Marin's restaurant?"

"Yes, okay," Spencer agrees. "But you _are_ going to tell us where you've been."

"Okay, okay," Aria sighs, running down the street to the restaurant. She waves hello to Mrs Marin, grabs a table and waits for five minutes before the other girls come in. They rush over to the table and sit down, all folding their arms angrily.

"Where have you been?" Emily says. "Why did you lie to us?"

"Because… I…" Aria trails off awkwardly and Spencer grins.

"You went to see your college boyfriend, didn't you?" Spencer says knowingly.

"Yeah," Aria says sheepishly. "I needed my parents not to know but I didn't want to ask you to lie to them about it."

"You can always ask us to lie for you," Emily says gently. "But I don't get it, Aria, you were making out with Noel Kahn just a few hours ago?"

"I know," Aria says. "And I know it looks bad but me and this guy, we hadn't…defined our relationship yet? He wasn't sure he wanted to date me. And tonight, he decided he did. So I'm done making out with Noel Kahn every time I see him. Ok?"

"Sure," Spencer nods.

"So why did you lot leave the party?" Aria asks. "What happened with Sean?"

"We caught him making out with someone else," Emily says in a hushed voice.

"What?" Aria gasps. "Who?!"

" _Noel Kahn_ ," Hanna says, speaking for the first time in a rough, tearful voice.

"Shut up!" Aria gasps. "Oh my God, they're gay?!"

"I don't know," Hanna says, bursting into tears. "I didn't stick around long enough to find out what his exact sexuality was."

"Did you even speak to him?" Aria says seriously. "Does he even know you saw?"

"No, I just ran," Hanna says. "I didn't know what to do."

"You need to speak to him, Han," Aria says, reaching out and squeezing her hand. "Listen to me, okay? I know it hurts but him getting with Noel is not about you. He's obviously confused and scared and he needs a friend who loves him, and that can be you. Just listen to him, hear him out, be understanding and kind, okay?"

"I'm scared," Hanna says tearfully. "I'm not good at this stuff."

"Yes you are," Aria says kindly. "And you love him, so just do what feels natural. Be there for him, promise him you won't tell anyone, say you'll still go to Homecoming with him if he wants. Whatever he needs right now, okay?"

"I can't go to Homecoming with a gay guy!" Hanna gasps and Emily starts to laugh into her sleeve. Hanna turns on her and then Spencer snorts into her hand and Aria lets out a shrill giggle and finally Hanna bursts out laughing. "How did I get into this situation?" she groans. "You really think I should talk to Sean tonight?"

"Yes," Aria says. "And I'm going to talk to Noel."

"Why you?" Emily asks.

"Because I'm his Homecoming date," Aria laughs. "And because he's one of my best friends and I love him."

"Okay," Emily says. "Are you going to go now? It's late."

"I know it is but I need to speak to him," Aria says, standing up. "I'll see you guys Monday?"

"What about tomorrow?" Hanna says. "I thought you were coming to mine to watch a movie?"

"I've…got plans," Aria says awkwardly.

"Oh, plans," Spencer says, wiggling her eyebrows. "With your new BF?"

"Yes," Aria blushes. "I need to go. Good luck with Sean, Han, let me know how you get on?"

Hanna nods and pulls her phone out, starting to text. Aria smiles at Spencer and Emily and then heads out of the door, walking down to the nearest cab rank as she dials Noel's number.

"I need to talk to you," Aria says, walking up to Noel's side. "Will you come upstairs with me?"

"Sure," Noel says, wiggling his eyebrows as he follows her.

"Sit down," Aria says, dumping her bag on his bed. "We need to talk."

"Okay, you're scaring me now," Noel says. "Has something happened?"

"Yeah," Aria says. "Hanna saw you…with Sean." Noel's whole face drops and he shoots to his feet, starting to stutter frantically. "Stop," Aria says gently, pulling him back down. "Calm down, Noel, and listen to me. I don't care. I don't care if you're gay or you're bi or you just don't know what's happening in your head right now, I don't care, I'm here to support you, okay? So talk to me. Noel, please, talk to me. I've known you forever, I love you, please talk to me."

"I don't…I don't know what to say," Noel says. "I don't know how I feel…I want to make out with girls and guys and I just…I'm not ready for anyone else to know yet."

"Okay," Aria says. "That's fine. No-one has to know. And you and me will go to Homecoming and we'll have the best time, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Noel says. "You should go with someone who actually…"

"Well I can't," Aria says. "Because my parents are going to flip out when they find out who I'm dating and you're my perfect match in their eyes."

"Wait, you're…" Noel trails off, surprised.

"Yeah, Noel," Aria smiles. "So I guess we're both using each other."

"Well okay then," Noel says, pulling her onto his lap. "You're my best friend, Aria, no contest."

"Yeah, same here," she says, wrapping her legs and her arms around him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he says, burying his head in her shoulders. "Do you want to sleep over tonight?"

"It's been a long time since we had a sleepover," she laughs. "People will talk."

"That's what we wanted, right?" he chuckles. "Plus, you know I'm the best cuddle buddy you're ever gonna have."

"Too true," she says, hugging him even tighter. "Yeah, go on then, I'll stay with you."

"Nice one," Noel says. "Right I'm gonna go and get rid of the rest of my guests. You wait here."


	3. Chapter 3 : Stories and Secrets

3

"Morning!" Aria says as Ezra opens the door.

"Where have you been?" Ezra asks. "I thought you were going to get here hours ago."

"I'm sorry," Aria says. "I stayed at Noel's last night and I needed to go home and change."

"You stayed at Noel's house?" Ezra says. "I thought you said you and him would be over if we…"

"Calm down," Aria says, settling down on the sofa. "Nothing happened, but he needed me. Hanna and Sean broke up last night, remember I told you?"

"Yeah," Ezra says. "What does that have to do with Noel?"

"Well I spoke to Hanna," Aria says. "And the reason they broke up is because she caught Sean getting with somebody else."

"Who?" Ezra says.

"Noel," Aria says. "So I needed to go up there and be there for him, you know? He's my best friend, I want to be supportive. But you don't need to worry about me and him anymore, okay?"

"I can't believe he's gay," Ezra says. "That is some bombshell."

"He's bi. But you can't tell anyone," Aria says seriously. "Nobody knows. Like literally, me, Hanna, Emily, Spencer, Noel and Sean, we're the only ones."

"And now me," Ezra says, pulling her onto his lap. "Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome," Aria smiles, snuggling into his chest. "I thought it might make things easier – my relationship with Noel has really upset other boyfriends in the past so…"

"What?" Ezra says. "Why?"

"We're really close," Aria says. "I stay at his house, we go to dinner, I kiss him and I hug him and to other people, it can look like we're in a relationship. But it's not sexual, it's not romantic, it's just us being best friends. But guys don't like it, they feel threatened by him. He's a really good looking guy, you know? But you shouldn't be threatened, especially now you know he's gay."

"Okay," Ezra nods. "I trust you."

"Good," Aria says, smiling broadly.

"Can I ask you another question?" Ezra says quietly.

"Of course you can," Aria says.

"Your…status in the school?" he says. "How did that come around?"

"What do you mean?" she says, frowning.

"Aria, you can't possibly believe that you're not the most popular girl in school," Ezra says. "You and your friends rule the place, the seas part as you walk down the corridor."

"I'm not the most popular girl in school," Aria laughs. "That's Hanna, she's gonna be Homecoming Queen next week. Or Spence, she's Senior Class President. Or Em, she's captain of the cheerleading squad. I'm just…"

"You're their leader," Ezra says. "They listen to you; they look up to you. You're best friends with all the popular guys, all the girls, you're…everything in that school. Was it always that way?"

"Rosewood is a small town," Aria says quietly. "Me and Han and Emily and Spence have been friends for years, since Kindergarten. Noel and Sean and Ben, they were all there too. And we grew up together, we know everything about each other, and we've all been together forever. People move to the town and their kids join the school but we're such a tight knit group that they never really… I don't know, I mean…and then we walked around the high school like we owned the place because we were all so tight we had nothing to be afraid of. And suddenly we were pretty and popular and we were customising our uniforms and dressing like we wanted to and the teachers didn't do anything because we're rich and powerful and…it just spiralled. We were never horrible or bitchy or anything like that, we just stuck together and somehow suddenly everybody wanted to be us."

"You've known all your friends since Kindergarten? Really?" Ezra says. "Wow."

"I mean, I have other friends," Aria sighs. "People that I say hi to, that I work with, people that Mike knows, you know? But my best friends have known me forever."

"And your boyfriends?" Ezra asks.

"They're nothing," Aria says. "People of the past, I don't like to think about it. I'm sorry, Ezra, I don't really want to talk about this now."

"Okay," Ezra says. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to kiss you," Aria teases.

"Well then," he chuckles. "Go right ahead." He leans up, pressing his lips against hers and pulls her even closer to him as he slides his tongue into his mouth.

"Morning," Aria says as she walks up to the rest of the girls. She has swapped her feathered earrings for a pair of tiny dreamcatchers, and has a skull necklace on. She has tied her hair up in a messy bun piled on top of her head, her socks are white today and she is wearing her usual strappy black platform stilettos.

"You look hot today," Spencer says, hugging her quickly. "How are you?"

"Yeah, I'm great," Aria says. "How about you, Han? How did things go with Sean on Saturday night?"

"Yeah, not too bad," Hanna says. "We talked for pretty much the whole night and I think he feels better about the whole thing. He's gay, guys, and that's okay, but he's not ready for it to come out yet, so we're gonna go to Homecoming together. A cover."

"Yeah, I'm going with Noel," Aria smiles, hugging Hanna tightly. "The four of us can go as a group and we can hang out, it'll be fun."

"Sure," Hanna says, smiling wanly. "As long as I win Queen, I don't give a shit."

"I thought you might feel that way," Aria chuckles.

"So how was yesterday?" Emily asks Aria. "Did you hook up with your college guy?"

"Yeah," Aria smiles. "We spent the day together, it was lovely."

"Where did you stay Saturday night?" Spencer asks. "Your mom said you didn't come home, she thought you were at Hanna's but obviously you weren't. Did you go to his house?"

"Nah, I stayed with Noel," Aria says. "He needed a friend. I haven't stayed with my college guy yet."

"Can we have a name?" Hanna asks. "If we're gonna lie for you, I'd like to know something about the guy I'm lying for?"

"I…I can't give you a name," Aria says awkwardly. "We can call him…X?"

"Sure," Emily says, laughing. "Right, I'll see you lot at lunch?"

"Yeah, come on, guys, we've got to get to class," Spencer says. "Aria, where are you going?" Aria has taken off at a run and she throws herself into Noel's arms, hugging him tightly. She kisses him on the cheek and leans against the locker, chatting away merrily. "Aria," Spencer calls, and she looks around. "We need to go."

"Fine," Aria sighs, kissing Noel's cheek again before she follows Spencer and Hanna to English.

"Laying it on a bit thick aren't you?" Hanna laughs quietly.

"Hey, me and Noel are best buds," Aria says. "Pretending to love him isn't hard – and you know how much I love a good bit of gossip."

"Very true," Hanna laughs.

"Miss Montgomery, a word?" Ezra says in the corridor. "I've just looked over your assignment and I have a couple of notes before you head home?"

"Do you want us to wait, Aria?" Spencer asks.

"No, don't be silly," Aria says. "You guys go; I'll meet you at Hanna's at…8?"

"Sounds good," Emily grins. "Have a good evening, Mr Fitz."

"Thank you, Miss Fields," Ezra says with an easy going smile. "Good night, Miss Hastings."

Aria follows Ezra into his classroom and sits down at the desk nearest the front of the class. She watches him put all the blinds down before he pulls a chair up so he is sitting opposite her. "So…" Aria says, smiling. "Your notes?"

"Yes," he says, pulling her assignment out of his folder. "I loved your essay, I really did, I just wanted to point out a couple of things."

"You know it's getting kinda late," Aria says. "The girls and I stayed to help set up for Homecoming, I think most of the teachers have gone."

"Oh really?" Ezra says, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Aria says, with a broad grin. "So I was thinking we could make this a bit more interesting?"

"Oh yeah, how?" he says, grinning back at her.

"How about, for every note, I take off an item of clothing?" she suggests cheekily.

"That sounds a bit risky," he says.

"Come on, the risk is what makes it fun," she says. "I'll even give you a freebie." She slips her blazer off and drapes it neatly over the back of her chair, turning back to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Go on then," he says, grinning.

Half an hour later, Aria is sitting at the desk, wearing only her long white socks, her lacy black thong and her matching bra. He is sitting opposite her, with one note to go, grinning broadly. "So, Miss Montgomery, you want to back out yet?" he teases. "There's only two ways this can go."

"And it's completely your choice," she grins. "What do you want to see most?"

"Come here," he says, pushing the desk aside and pulling her onto his lap. "Are we really gonna do this here?"

"You don't want to?" she says, kissing his neck. "Because I can put my clothes back on and go."

"I do want to," he says, kissing her urgently. "I just don't know if it's the best place…"

"Calm down," she chuckles. "It's not like I'm a virgin. It's not even our first time."

"That is true," he says, kissing her again. "Oh what the hell, let's do it."

"Aria, you're late – again!" Hanna says, as she opens the door. "You're the one who said 8, why would you say that if you meant 9?"

"I'm sorry," Aria says apologetically. "I just got caught up in stuff. The notes took longer than I thought and then I had to get home and change and Mike had some stuff going on… I'm sorry, Hanna, but I'm here now."

"Okay, well get upstairs," Hanna says. "Alex and Spencer had a fight and she's really upset."

"They did?" Aria says. "Why?"

"He can't come to Homecoming," Hanna explains quietly.

"So?" Aria shrugs. "I mean it sucks but she can just come with our group. It's not like any of us, apart from Ben, have proper dates. Our dates are gay for crying out loud."

"I know, I know, so I told her she could come and then I mentioned it to Noel and Sean," Hanna explains. "And then Sean suggested that he bring along Zac, just to even out the numbers, but then when Spencer mentioned it to Alex, he lost his shit and said that if she went with us, he'd dump her, and she said he had no right to be giving ultimatums, so they broke up."

"Oh crap," Aria says as they walk into the room. She runs over to the bed and sits down beside Spencer, pulling her into a hug. "Are you okay, babe?"

"Our lives are falling apart, huh?" Spencer laughs tearfully. "One of us has a gay boyfriend, one is having a secret relationship and one has no relationship at all."

"Babe, our lives are not falling apart," Aria says. "When did we let boys rule us, eh? We're the powerful ones, the popular ones, the ones with the bright futures. And in…5, 10 years, who's gonna remember Alex, huh? Not me."

"Yeah," Spencer says. "You're right. Screw him."

"So you gonna come with us to Homecoming?" Hanna says, sitting on the end of her bed.

"Of course she's coming," Aria says before Spencer can say anything. "She didn't buy that beautiful dress for nothing."

"Good, then that's settled," Emily says brightly. "Han, did you choose shoes?"

"No," Hanna groans. "Aria, will you come take a look with me?"

"Sure," Aria smiles. "Let's get them all out and we can decide."

"Okay," Hanna beams. "So Em, you're the only one of us in a normal relationship now. I feel like we haven't seen Ben in ages – how are things with you two?"

Emily shrugs and then replies, "Yeah, fine. Just very…samey? I don't know, I love him but it's getting boring."

"Oh dear," Aria says. "That's never a good thing. Have you two…?"

"Nah," Emily says. "I want it to be special, my first time, and…I don't think it will be with Ben. I'm not like you, Aria, I want it to still mean something."

"Hey," Aria objects. "It does mean something when I do it. Han, I like these ones."

"Ooh, I totally forgot I had those," Hanna says, pouncing on the shoes Aria is holding. "These are perfect!"

"All Em meant is that you're not one to save it for a special occasion," Spencer laughs.

"You're making me sound like a whore!" Aria complains.

"Aria," Hanna says. "When was the last time you had sex?"

Now Aria turns scarlet and Spencer bursts out laughing. "Oh my God, you had sex _today_ , didn't you? That's why you were late?"

"Yes," Aria says. "But that's not a bad thing. I have a lot of sex, so what? I like having sex."

"Don't we all?" Spencer says, clearing her throat. "With who?"

"With X?" Hanna guesses and Aria nods.

"Yes, but X isn't working for me," Aria says. "We need to think of something else."

"You could just tell us his name," Spencer says, but Aria shakes her head, deep in thought.

Just then her phone pings and she says, "Han, will you pass it? It's in my bag."

Hanna reaches into Aria's bag and pulls it out, reading the message nosily before she passes it. "Ooh," she says, her whole face lighting up. "Who is Ezra and why does he want to do _that_ to you?"

"Ezra?" Spencer says curiously. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"It's Mr. Fitz's name coincidentally," Aria laughs, lying through her teeth. "Honestly, you go your whole life without meeting an Ezra and then two come along at once."

"Well that is some seriously steamy sexting going on there," Hanna says, impressed. "Tell your boy toy to go away; this is girls' night."

"Alright, I'm just gonna go call him," Aria says, squeezing Spencer tightly and then hopping up off the bed and out into the corridor.

"Did you see Mona today?" Spencer asks Hanna. "You haven't been hanging out with her that much."

"Yeah, well, you know she and Aria don't get on," Hanna says. "And Aria's my oldest friend and one of my best so…"

"Do you ever wonder why?" Emily says thoughtfully.

"Wonder why what?" Hanna asks, confused.

"Wonder why Aria and Mona don't get on," Emily says.

"No, not really," Hanna says, frowning.

"I think you should," Emily says. "Because Aria's an excellent judge of character. She always has been, and if she doesn't like someone, there's usually a reason."

"Well maybe, but I don't think so in this case," Hanna says.

"In what case?" Aria asks, coming back into the room and settling down next to Spencer.

"Why don't you like Mona?" Emily asks bluntly and Hanna scowls.

"Bad vibes," Aria shrugs, putting her head in Spencer's lap.

"But why?" Hanna says curiously. "I don't get it."

"Hmm," Aria says, sitting up and thinking for a moment. "Do you remember in sixth grade she punched Zac in the face?"

"Oh my God," Emily says, laughing. "Yes, that was amazing!"

"It was unwarranted," Aria says seriously. "I was talking to him by the swings and she stormed over and just punched him and then walked away again. No reason, no explanation, nothing. And later that day, I was called in with Zac and Mona to discuss the incident, as a witness, you know? And Principal Kinner asked her why she'd done it and she just stood there and said nothing, cold as ice, and I remember thinking what a psycho, to just punch someone out of nowhere."

"You never told us this," Spencer says.

"Well because that's not how it went down," Aria says. "Kinner asked again and again and eventually he threatened to phone her mom and she freaked and made up this long, crazy story about how he had crossed her in some way and she was so upset by it that she hit him. It was all lies, but it didn't show on her face that she was lying, it came so naturally to her."

"So you don't like her because she's a good liar?" Hanna scoffs. "Bit hypocritical of you, Aria."

"No, it's not that," Aria says quietly. "I resent her for being a good liar, I wish I was as good as her. But it's not that, it's that she lies for herself. I lie to my family because I know the truth will hurt them more. She lies to get herself out of trouble and it's…cold and calculating and everything I don't like in a person. And every time I see her, I remember."

"What happened to Zac?" Spencer asks. "I hardly remember that day."

"Well, Kinner knew she was lying," Aria says. "It was two against one, Mona had no one to back up her story _and_ she'd kept quiet for so long that it sounded ridiculous. But she couldn't prove it so they both walked away with a detention and that was that."

"Whoa," Emily says. "She seems to have chilled out a bit since then though?"

"Well yeah," Aria says fairly. "She still hates me though."

"In fairness," Spencer says, "I do think that's because you made out with her boyfriend."

"Did I?" Aria says, confused. "Who? When?"

"Noel," Hanna laughs. "You remember they dated in junior high?"

"No," Aria says, pulling a face. "Why did I…I always make out with Noel."

"Yeah, even when he has a girlfriend," Hanna says. "You've ruined every relationship he's ever had."

"To be fair, he's ruined every relationship I've ever had too," Aria says. "Also, I think the whole bi thing might have been a factor?"

"Maybe," Spencer chuckles. Emily snorts and suddenly all the girls burst out laughing, going for ages until they're all crying.

"Girls, could we keep it down a bit please?" Ashley says, appearing in the doorway.

"Sorry, Mom," Hanna says, wiping her eyes.

"We really should be going anyway actually," Aria says. "Right girls?"

"You're welcome to stay," Ashley says. "I didn't mean you had to leave."

"Thank you, but it's getting late and I don't have any of my stuff," Aria says. "I'll see you all tomorrow, okay?" She kisses Spencer on the cheek, blows Hanna and Emily kisses and hugs Hanna's mom before disappearing. They hear the front door slam and immediately Spencer turns to Hanna and Emily.

"Odds?" she says clearly and they both frown.

"Even," Hanna says fairly.

"Nah, it's late," Emily says. "I'd say 2 to 1."

"What is the time?" Spencer says, checking her phone. "Oh, it's only half 10. Hmm, that's not late enough to push up to 2 to 1, sorry Em."

"No," Emily says. "Hasn't Mike got lacrosse practice tomorrow morning? Aria usually drives him."

"Ooh, good catch," Spencer says. "Okay, let's say 3 to 1 then."

"Put me down for a fiver," Hanna says.

"Yeah, me too," Emily says.

"Okay, so that's a fiver each and a return of £15 if she's been, agreed?" Spencer says.

"Wait, she's already seen him today," Hanna says. "Shouldn't we account for that in the odds?"

"I think 3 to 1 is fair," Spencer says.

"What are you betting on?" Ashley asks, confused.

"Whether Aria has sneaked off to see her new boyfriend again," Spencer says, smiling as she takes Hanna and Emily's money.

"New boyfriend?" Ashley gasps. "What about Noel?"

"Eh, they've always had a bit of a…open relationship, shall we say?" Emily says. "Right, Han, we better be going. We'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Sure," Hanna grins, hugging the girls tightly.

"Bye girls," Ashley says. "Han, when did Aria meet this guy?"

"Just before term started, why?" Hanna says, pulling her pyjamas out of a drawer.

"Nothing, I just…do her parents know?" Ashley says.

"No," Hanna says firmly. "And you can't tell them, Mom, it's not your place. Promise?"

"Is there something wrong with him?" she asks. "Why doesn't she want them to know?"

"Because last time she had a…romance with somebody, they completely flipped out," Hanna shrugs. "She just wants it to be perfect for a little while."

"Yeah I can understand that," Ashley says sympathetically. "Who knows, maybe it will last."


	4. Chapter 4 : Secrets at Homecoming

4

"Oh, Aria," Noel says, grinning broadly. "You look beautiful."

"Stop," she says playfully, walking down the stairs and straight into his arms. "You look very dashing."

"Thanks," he jokes, pretending to blush. "Shall we go?"

"Wait for it," she sighs.

"Picture time!" Ella says, bounding into the room. "Oh, Aria, your last Homecoming dance!"

"Oh my God," Aria says. "I never even thought about it like that."

"It's a happy occasion!" Ella insists. "Now smile!"

"Whoa," Aria says, laughing.

"There we go," Ella says, grinning. "Now off you go."

Noel leads Aria outside to where Hanna, Sean, Spencer, Zac, Emily and Ben are all waiting in a limo. "Party time!" she squeals, greeting them all excitedly.

"So who do you think will get lucky tonight, boys?" Ben says, hugging Emily close to him.

"Nobody has sex at Homecoming, Ben," Aria says. "So don't get your hopes up."

"Unless I'm remembering wrong," Sean says. "Didn't you have sex at Homecoming last year?"

"Oh," Aria says. "Oh, that's right! With Noel! Good times! But that doesn't count, for two reasons. Number 1, I'm a slut, and number 2, Noel and I could have had sex any night, it just so happened to be Homecoming."

"Those are both very valid points," Spencer giggles. "But no sex tonight, huh, Aria?"

"Not with Noel, no," Aria grins.

"Good girl," Spencer smiles. "Come on, guys, we're here. We really didn't need that limo; it was literally a two-minute drive."

"Come on, you," Noel says, picking Aria up bridal style. "Let's go and dance."

"Well if you insist," she giggles, letting him carry her inside.

"Attention everybody," Ezra says. "It's time to announce Homecoming King and Queen, and they've asked me to do the honours this year."

"Ooh, Hanna, can you do four years on the trot?" Aria says, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"The Homecoming King of 2016 is…. Mr Noel Khan," Ezra says, and Aria cheers with the rest of the room, hugging him tightly and pushing him up to the stage.

"And our queen for 2016 is… Miss Aria Montgomery," he says and Aria's mouth drops open.

"You have _got_ to be joking," Aria says, turning on her friends, who are all grinning broadly. "I didn't even run! What did you do?"

"It was your go," Emily shrugs, smiling. "Your turn to win – we all agreed."

"Han," Aria says. "This crown should be yours!"

"No, it shouldn't," Hanna replies kindly. "Aria, you never run for anything because you know you'll beat us."

"That's not why I don't run!" Aria says, outraged. "I don't run because I know you're the right people for the job!"

"Well you're the right person this year," Spencer says. "Now go and get your crown!"

"You're all idiots," Aria says, pulling them into a massive group hug tearfully. "And I love you so much."

"Aria?" Ezra says. "Will you come up to the stage please?"

Aria walks up to thunderous applause, as she blots her eyes with a tissue from Spencer. She is crowned quickly and then walks to the centre of the room to have her first dance with Noel. As soon as it finishes, she takes off, running out of the room and down towards the girls' bathroom. "Aria!" Ezra calls after her and she stops, turning to face him with mascara running down her cheeks.

"What?" she says, laughing tearfully.

"I was going to ask if you're okay, but I guess not?" he says, laughing.

"No, I'm okay," she says. "Just over emotional, I guess. My mom reminded me that this is our last Homecoming and then my friends pulled that stunt with the crown and it was all just too much."

"I told you you were the most popular girl in school," he says wisely. "Who else could win Homecoming Queen without even running?"

"Whatever," she laughs. "You look very charming this evening by the way."

"Thank you," he says. "And you…you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Even with make-up running down your face."

"Thanks," she says, leaning up and kissing him gently. "Can I come by yours later?"

"No after-party?" he says. "No secret hook-up with Noel?"

"Oh please," she teases. "That is _so_ 2015."

"Apologies," he laughs. "Sure, come by mine. We can have our first dance in my tiny little apartment."

"Sounds perfect," she says, kissing him again. "See you later." He kisses her on the forehead and then watches her hurry into the bathroom before hurrying back into the hall.

Aria looks at herself in the mirror and groans, before frantically beginning to blot her make-up away. Just then, the door swings open and Spencer walks in, arms folded. "I came to check on you," she says.

"I'm fine," Aria says. "I'll just be one minute; I need to fix my face."

"Yeah, I know you're fine," Spencer says. "Mr. Fitz took care of that."

"Excuse me?" Aria says, turning to face her with a frown.

"You heard me," Spencer says. "I saw you kissing him, Aria. He _is_ the Ezra you're dating, isn't he?"

Aria pauses for a moment before replying, "Yes, he is. I know this looks bad, and I want to explain it to you, if you'll let me? Can I come to yours tomorrow?"

"You can come to mine tonight," Spencer says. "Tell Fitz you've got plans you can't get out of otherwise I'm going to report him."

"Spencer?" Aria says incredulously.

"Don't, Aria," she snaps. "Don't look at me with those puppy dog eyes. What you're doing is illegal. I'm going to get the girls and we're going to go to mine now."

"We can't leave now," Aria says. "You can't draw attention to it."

"Fine," Spencer says. "It's only half an hour til the end, and then we're going straight there."

"Okay," Aria says, frowning. "I'm just going to fix my make-up and then I'll join you."

"Fine," Spencer snaps, walking out of the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.

Aria pulls out her phone immediately and sends a text to Ezra, before fixing her face and hurrying back into the gym, where Noel is waiting for her. She heads back to the dancefloor with him, watching as Spencer talks to Hanna and Emily in hushed voices. They are all three of them staring at her but she does her best to ignore it, dancing until the music stops, before following them unwillingly out to the limo. "Sorry, boys," Spencer says. "Official business to take care of."

"I'll text you," Aria says, hugging Noel goodbye. "Thanks for tonight, it was lovely."

"Yeah, thank you too," Noel says. "Good luck with your business. None of those three look very happy."

"Yeah they're not," Aria laughs. "Guess I'm about to find out why." She kisses him on the cheek and then gets into the car, where Emily, Hanna and Spencer are all waiting, arms folded in identical expressions of disapproval.

"What is going on?" Hanna says. "What have you done to piss Spencer off so much?"

"You haven't told them?" Aria says, surprised.

"No," Spencer says. "I thought that was your place."

"Okay, thank you," Aria says gratefully. "Spencer found out who my boyfriend is and she's…not pleased, to say the least."

"Who is it?" Emily asks.

"It's…Ezra. Mr. Fitz," Aria confesses and Emily and Hanna both gasp loudly.

"What?!" Hanna says. "Aria, are you insane?"

"This is the most reckless thing you've ever done," Emily says, putting her head in her hands. "Aria, why?!"

"That's what I want to know," Spencer says. "Did you know when you first met him? Please tell me you didn't?"

"Of course I didn't," Aria says exasperatedly. "I met him the day before school started, remember? I was texting him all morning and then I got to his class and my phone went off just after he'd sent a text and he told me to stay behind."

"So that's why he didn't punish you," Spencer sighs disapprovingly.

"Yes," Aria says. "But he ended it there and then."

"But…?" Hanna says.

"But then that afternoon, I went back to his classroom to apologise for lying about my age," she explains. "And he kissed me again and it was just…magical. But he knew it was wrong and he broke it off and that was that. And then like a week ago, I was walking home in the rain and he offered me a ride and we hooked up in his car and I said to him that he needed to make a choice and so he did."

"The night of Noel's party," Emily says. "That's why you left?"

"Yeah," Aria says. "And then that was that, and we've been together ever since."

"Wow, a week," Spencer says, rolling her eyes. "Aria, this is so stupid."

"I know it is, but I'm really falling for him," Aria says. "You guys have been saying it all week, you've never seen me happier. Please don't ruin this. I'm begging you."

"She is really happy, Spence," Emily says. "And she's actually stable for once which never happens."

"It's not like he's an old man," Hanna says fairly. "He's what…24? And she's 18. In just a few months, it won't be an issue anymore."

"Aria, you know if you get caught, he's gonna go to prison?" Spencer says.

"I know that," Aria says. "But we've been so careful. It's only because you guys love me so much that you found out."

"Okay," Spencer says. "But I want to meet him. As your boyfriend, not as our teacher."

"Alright," Aria says nervously. "Let's go to his place now then."

"Ezra?" Aria calls as she knocks.

"Hey, you!" he says, opening it wide. "I thought you said – oh." Aria is standing directly in front of his door with the other three just behind her. "What is happening?"

"They heard us," Aria frowns.

"Oh," Ezra says. "I suppose you better come in then."

They file into the flat and fling themselves down on his sofa, except Aria who remains standing, hovering by the window. "What are you doing?" Emily says, grinning.

"Debating whether or not to throw myself out," Aria deadpans. "What are we doing here, Spence?"

"We wanted to meet you as Aria's boyfriend," Spencer says. "We know you're still our teacher but you're also the guy who's been making Aria really happy. Happy enough to stop pulling Noel anyway."

Aria tuts disapprovingly, walking over to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of beer. "Drink, babe?" she says and he nods appreciatively, following her.

"Here," he says, opening hers.

"Thank you," she says, leaning up and kissing him gently. When she turns back to the couch, Emily and Hanna are beaming and even Spencer looks like she's softening up.

"What are you gonna do about Aria's parents?" Emily asks, settling in a little bit. Aria and Ezra exchange a horrified look which makes all three girls laugh and finally everybody relaxes.

"We are going to flee the country," Ezra says frankly. "Nah, we just need to wait until Aria leaves school and then we can pretend to begin our relationship after that."

Hanna is looking round the flat with interest and now she beams. "Aria, is that your bra?" she says with mock disapproval.

Aria flushes scarlet and glances at Ezra, who shrugs sheepishly. "I found it," he says, grinning, and she smiles, leaning over and kissing him again.

"Any other questions?" Aria says. "Or shall we be on our way and let Ezra get on with his life?"

"Ezra," Emily says, tutting. "Honestly. Who ever thought of teachers having real names?"

Ezra laughs and the girls head towards the door. Aria ducks back for a second and sits down on the arm of the chair Ezra is sitting in, whispering something in his ear. The three girls watch as he laughs quietly and then pulls away, raising an eyebrow. Aria nods seductively and Ezra grins, pulling her onto his lap and kissing her deeply. "Right," he says. "Go – I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," Aria says, "I'll come by about 11?"

"Sounds good," he agrees. "Bye, babe."

"Bye," Aria says, kissing him once more before ushering the girls out of the door.

"Oh my God," Hanna says as Emily calls a cab.

"What?" Aria says.

"You two are the cutest couple I've ever seen," Hanna says.

"I've got to admit that you two do seem very well-matched," Spencer says, hugging Aria tightly. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"I think I do," Aria says. "I really like him, Spence."

"I can see why," Spencer says fondly. "You just have to be really careful. Think of the scandal – Homecoming Queen caught having sordid affair with _hot_ new teacher!"

"It's not sordid," Aria laughs. "But nobody is going to tell and it really is only a few more months."

"And then what?" Emily says. "What happens when you go to college?"

"I don't want to think about that yet," Aria says. "Why are we still talking about me? Spence, you're on the lookout for a new boyfriend, right?"

"Why, have you got your sights on someone for me?" Spencer laughs.

"Morning!" Aria shouts as she walks through her front door.

"Hooray!" her family cheer as she walks into the kitchen.

"Our daughter," her dad gushes, hugging her tightly. "Homecoming Queen of her Senior class."

"Whatever," Aria says, throwing her bag down on the table. "I wasn't even nominated."

"Which makes it all the more amazing," her mom says. "We made you breakfast."

"Thanks," Aria says. "I'm just going to go and change." She hurries upstairs, dresses in a pair of sweatpants, sneakers, layered vests and a hoody.

"Pancakes?" her mom says. "Are you going to see Hanna today?"

"Nah, I think I'm going to head to the library," Aria says. "Do you mind if I skip the pancakes, Mom? I was up pretty late with the girls last night and I'm feeling a bit sick."

"Alright, darling," Ella says kindly. "Don't be too late tonight. We're having a faculty mixer starting at 8."

"Can I invite the girls?" Aria asks.

"Yes, you can," Ella says. "And I was going to invite that Mr. Fitz from the English department? He applied for a job at the college so I thought that might be nice?"

"Okay," Aria says shakily. "I've got to go, Mom, see you later."

Aria runs out to her car and drives straight to Ezra's place, walking in without knocking and leaning against the front door with her arms folded. "Yes, Mrs Montgomery, that sounds great," he says into the phone. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. Yes, I'll see you at 8. Bye then."

"Explain," she says angrily. "Why are you applying for jobs elsewhere?"

"Not elsewhere," he says, pulling her over to the sofa. "Just Hollis, I promise."

"But why?" she says. "You just started at the school, people will think it's weird."

"I don't care what people think," he says. "The sooner one of us isn't at the school anymore, the sooner we can be together properly."

"Oh," she says, softening. "When's your interview?"

"Thursday," he replies. "I'll be taking a personal day."

"Okay," she says. "Well if my father has any common sense, he'll definitely pick you."

"Wait, Byron Montgomery is your father?" Ezra says breathlessly. "Should have put that together really. Well there's no pressure there then."

"You'll meet him tonight though," Aria says. "And my mom. Are you nervous?"

"Yeah, I am," Ezra says. "I know I'm not meeting them as your boyfriend but… I still wanna make a good impression, you know?"

"You will," Aria says. "Come on, don't think about it, babe. What are we gonna do today?"

"Movies?" Ezra says. "We can watch a silent film if you want?"

"Sure," Aria says, beaming as she snuggles into his side.


	5. Chapter 5 : Secrets and Plans

**Hi guys! Thank you for your follows, favourites and kind words. I realise there have been some spacing issues that I've tried to fix in this chapter - hopefully that will work itself out.**

5

A few weeks later, the girls meet up as usual on Monday morning. "Good morning," Aria says as the rest of the girls join her at her locker. She is wearing her usual knee-high socks, this time in grey, and black strappy heels, and has chosen peacock feather earrings and a matching necklace. Her jacket is slung over one shoulder and she has hoisted her skirt up so it is even shorter than usual.

"Morning," Spencer says, kissing her cheek lightly. "How are you, Aria?"

"I'm good, thanks," Aria says, kissing Hanna and Emily, before she turns back to her locker. "How was everyone's weekend?"

"Yeah, lovely," Hanna says. "Mom and I went shopping and then got dinner. I finally told her about Dad and Isabelle getting married."

"Oh you did?" Aria says. "How did she take that?"

"Better than I expected," Hanna says fairly. "I mean, she was a bit upset, but she's got a date next week and I think that cheered her up."

"That's great," Aria says. "Em? Do anything fun?"

"Nah, not really," Emily says. "But my dad called and he's coming home next week."

"Oh, Em," Aria says, hugging her tightly. "That's such great news!"

"I know," Emily says, beaming.

"Spence?" Aria says. "Is your sister home yet?"

"Nah," Spencer sighs. "She's gonna be home just in time for Thanksgiving. She wants the element of surprise when she introduces her new Prince Charming."

"Oh of course," Aria laughs. "Is everyone excited for Thanksgiving by the way? Only ten days!"

"Yeah, I'm buzzing," Hanna says.

"Me too," Emily says.

"Great," Aria says, grinning. "Spence?"

"Yeah, my family's really excited," Spencer says. "They want us all to meet up to discuss cooking arrangements and everything – do you want to all come to mine tonight with your parents?"

"Sounds good," Aria says. "Obviously I can't, but is anyone else bringing a date?"

"I don't know," Spencer sighs. "I really don't want Melissa to rub it in my face but I can't think of anyone to bring."

"Did you have a good time at Homecoming?" Aria asks. "Because I spoke to Noel yesterday evening and he said that Zac wanted to ask you out again."

"I don't know," Spencer says. "I don't think he's really my type."

"Okay," Aria says, nodding fairly. "Well who else is there? Ooh I know, I heard Toby Cavanaugh is back in town."

"Toby Cavanaugh?" Spencer says. "My parents _hate_ him."

"Yeah, well, that would be a bonus," Aria teases. "You always fancied him, ever since you were a kid, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Spencer says, blushing. "But anyway, I can't bring him to Thanksgiving. Why don't we all just go dateless?"

"Are you okay with that, Em?" Aria asks, starting to walk down to English. "Did you want to invite someone?"

"No, I'm not bothered," Emily says.

"Okay then," Aria nods. "Dateless Thanksgiving, great."

"Hey, it'll be a laugh," Hanna says. "Are you and Ezra doing anything before we leave?"

"We'll see," Aria says. "If I can get out of the house; my mom's got me under house arrest until I finish my college applications."

"Tell her you're doing a project with him for extra credit," Spencer teases, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Yeah yeah," Aria agrees, rolling her eyes. "Listen, I feel like we have _a lot_ to catch up on – can we meet for lunch in the courtyard?"

"It's cold," Hanna says reluctantly.

"So bring a coat," Aria snaps. "Please, Han?"

"Okay," Hanna agrees and the other girls nod.

"Great," Aria says. "Then I'll meet you there!"

That lunchtime, Aria is sitting on the table. She has swapped her blazer for a tight leather jacket with a fur collar and is talking earnestly to the girls. "So we've all got stuff to catch up on, right?" Aria says.

"Has something happened with Ezra?" Spencer says curiously.

"No, I didn't actually mean me," Aria says. "Hanna, something to share?"

"What?" Hanna says nervously, looking up from her tray. "No, I don't think so."

"You sure?" Aria laughs. "Caleb? Caleb Rivers?"

"Oh," Hanna says, blushing. "Well."

"You slept with Caleb?" Emily says in a hushed voice. "Oh my God, how was it?"

"Really good," Hanna says, laughing nervously as she looks at Aria for her assessment.

"I'm impressed," Aria says. "He's a really good-looking guy and he seems sweet – why didn't you tell us?"

"I don't know," Hanna says shyly. "He's not our…our usual type, I guess?"

"Our usual type?" Aria teases. "I don't think we have a usual type, babe. I'm dating a teacher for crying out loud! And I feel like Emily has something to share which might make you feel a bit better?"

"I do?" Emily says, blushing.

"Maya?" Aria says. "I heard you hooked up with her at Sean's party last weekend."

"Ah," Emily says. "Yes, well…"

"I like Maya," Spencer says supportively. "Are you…gay now?"

"I don't know," Emily says. "All I know is that I enjoyed hooking up with Maya, but I also enjoyed myself when I used to hook up with Ben."

"Well, there's no pressure here," Aria says kindly. "You just be you and we'll be your best friends like we always are."

"Thank you," Emily says, beaming. "Honestly, I thought…"

"I do wish you'd told me though," Aria says. "We're all getting too good at keeping secrets from each other."

"How did you find out?" Hanna asks. "Who told you?"

"You know that guy, Lucas, from the yearbook?" Aria says. "The one who didn't like you very much at first? He's good friends with Caleb and he told me. And Sean told me about Maya, Em."

"You've got too many ears," Spencer laughs.

"You're right though," Emily says. "I should have talked to you guys about it, but I was just scared and confused."

"And that's okay," Aria says, leaning down and hugging Emily tightly. "Everyone gets confused sometimes. But you don't have to be scared of us."

"I know that now," Emily says, grinning broadly.

"So we're all dating again!" Aria says excitedly. "Everyone except Spencer! We really need to fix you up with somebody!"

"I'm happy single," Spencer says, nudging Aria. "You always said-"

"Miss Montgomery, those tables are not designed for sitting on," Ezra says, walking into the courtyard. "And where is your blazer?"

"Inside," Aria says lazily. "It's too cold for that, so I put my jacket on instead."

"Okay," Ezra says. "Now get off the table." Aria rolls her eyes, but otherwise ignores him, turning back to her conversation. Ezra glances around and sees instantly that everybody is watching their confrontation, so he insists, "Miss Montgomery, sit on a chair or come to my office."

Aria turns on him, an eyebrow raised and says, "I'm not bothering anyone, Mr Fitz. Let's not cause trouble over nothing."

"Right, my office now please," he says sharply.

Aria's eyebrows raise a fraction, challenging him, and then she rolls her eyes, uncrossing her legs and getting up off the table. "Girls, dinner at Ashley's restaurant tonight?" she says. "8 o clock?" They all nod and she beams, walking out of the courtyard and waving goodbye to everyone as she goes. She walks down the first corridor, completely ignoring Ezra, and stops in her tracks. "Caleb!" she calls, her eyes on a good-looking boy with shoulder length hair and a beanie. "Caleb Rivers?" The young man turns around reluctantly and pales as he sees her, but it doesn't faze her, as she runs up to him.

She leans in, kisses both his cheeks, and says, "Hi, Caleb, I'm Aria, a friend of Hanna!"

"Yes," Caleb says uncertainly, one eye on Ezra, who looks completely baffled by this turn of events.

"Listen, the girls and I are going to dinner tonight," she says. "I know it would mean a lot to Hanna if you came along and we'd all really like to get to know you."

"Um," he says nervously.

"Great," Aria says. "We're meeting at Hanna's mom's restaurant at 8!"

"Okay," Caleb says, warmed by her enthusiasm and unprecedented charisma.

"Awesome," Aria says, kissing him again. "It's a real pleasure to meet you."

"You too," Caleb says.

Aria grins and then continues walking down the corridors, Ezra following her. Her heels are clicking loudly and everyone looks up as she passes, grinning in appreciation. "Ooh, Maya!" she shouts a few moments later. "Maya?!"

"Oh, hey Aria," Maya says, hugging her tightly. She eyes Ezra over her shoulder and asks, "Are you in trouble?"

"I think so," Aria says, refusing to even look at Ezra. She can practically feel the anger radiating off him, but she ignores it, focussing on Maya. "Listen, the girls and I are going for dinner tonight at 8? Join us?"

"Sure," Maya says. "Good shout, I'll see you later."

"Awesome," Aria says, kissing her cheek and then continuing the walk. She reaches a T-junction in the hallways, where she should turn right for Ezra's classroom. Instead she takes the left and now Ezra stops her, snapping, "Miss Montgomery, this is getting ridiculous."

"I only need to make a couple more stops," she says sharply. "I'll meet you there if you wish."

"How do I know you'll come?" he says. "No, I'm going with you."

"Fine," Aria says. "We'll take the long route." She walks down the corridor and to the guidance counsellor's office, where Toby Cavanaugh is having his daily session. She raps on the door and is beckoned in. "Hi, Miss Sharp," she says warmly. "Mr Fitz and I were just wondering if we could borrow Toby for a second?"

"Of course," Miss Sharp says. "Go on, Toby."

Toby follows Aria out into the hallway nervously and stands in front of her, twisting his hands. "Am I in trouble?" he asks Mr. Fitz anxiously.

"Don't look at me," Ezra says furiously. "This is all Aria."

"You're not in trouble," Aria says, grinning. "Listen, the girls and I are going to dinner tonight and I wondered if you wanted to come with? I know Spencer would love it if you joined us!"

"Spencer?" Toby says, perking up slightly. "Um…okay, what time?"

"8 good for you?" Aria says.

"Sure," Toby says. "Thanks for inviting me!"

"Of course," Aria gushes, blowing him a kiss as she walks away.

"Miss Montgomery," Ezra says furiously. "We're going to my classroom now. No more detours."

"Okay," Aria says brightly, turning on the spot and heading back towards his classroom. "Ooh, Mona!"

Mona Vanderwaal turns and a forced smile springs onto her face. "Aria, darling," she says. "How are you?"

"Wonderful," Aria says in an equally fake voice. "Listen, the girls and I are doing dinner and I would love if you joined us!"

"Really?" Mona says, her façade dropping for a moment.

"Yeah," Aria says genuinely. "I think it's time you and I buried the hatchet, don't you? It would mean the world to Hanna."

"Yes," Mona says, nodding. "Okay, dinner, at Ashley's restaurant?"

"Yeah, at 8," Aria says. "Right, I better be going, but I'll see you tonight."

Mona waves goodbye and then Aria hurries down the hall and into Ezra's classroom, where she drops into a chair and looks up at him expectantly. "Well?" she says.

"What the hell was that?" Ezra says.

"Excuse me?" she laughs, "Something wrong?"

"You just made me look like an idiot," Ezra says. "You completely undermined my authority and you disrespected me."

"Ezra," she says firmly. "I love you, but I don't show respect for any teachers, mainly because they know better than to try and tell me off. If I were to only obey you, people would know something was up, so I had to do something to put them off the scent. I'm sorry about that wild goose chase but I had things to arrange and I thought now would be a good time."

"You…you love me?" Ezra says.

"Yes," Aria says gently. "Of course I do. I'm slightly unimpressed that's the only thing you got from that speech."

"I love you too," he says fondly, putting one hand on top of hers.

"Good," she says. "Quite right too. So can I go now?"

"No," Ezra says. "It has to at least look like I'm lecturing you."

"Okay," Aria says, leaning back and putting her heels up on the desk.

"So you're going to dinner?" Ezra laughs. "Are you matchmaking tonight?"

"Yeah," Aria says. "Hanna really likes Caleb but the rest of us hardly know him so I'd like to have a bit of a chat with him at least. Maya and Emily really like each other but they're a bit nervous to be…out in school so hopefully this meal will encourage them. Spencer has always liked Toby but since he went away, she's obviously dated other guys and he may need a hand rekindling that spark."

"Okay, I get all of them," Ezra says. "I do feel like you're meddling where you shouldn't be but never mind. What about Mona?"

"I'm not meddling!" Aria insists. "You don't know my friends, they're all very good at keeping secrets and there's enough of that in this town without hiding silly stuff from your friends. They're all too concerned with image."

"And you're not?" Ezra says, raising an eyebrow. "You just dragged me round half the school because you wanted to preserve yours."

"That was protecting you," Aria says. "And it's not the same thing. You could go to jail if we get caught. Nothing will happen to them, I won't let it."

"What do you mean?" Ezra says.

"Well Hanna's worried people will judge her for not dating a jock, you know?" Aria says. "Which is probably true but they're not going to do anything about it. Emily is worried about publicly dating a girl, but if anyone says anything homophobic, I'm not afraid to slap a bitch so she shouldn't be."

"You care so much," Ezra says. "You look out for your friends before anything else, huh?"

"Of course I do," Aria says. "My friends and my family. It's why I've worked _so_ hard to preserve my status in this school, so I can look out for them."

"But you don't care about what people think," he teases.

"Okay, well maybe I do a bit," she laughs.

"You didn't answer my question," he says. "Why Mona?"

"Mona is one of Hanna's best friends," Aria says.

"So why doesn't she hang with you guys?" Ezra asks.

"Because I hate her," Aria says. "And she hates me."

"Why?" Ezra says. "Childhood feud?"

"Nothing that dramatic," Aria says, grinning. "I think she's two-faced and cold and she hates me because I made out with her boyfriend in junior high."

"Why?" Ezra laughs.

"It was Noel," Aria explains and Ezra sighs in understanding.

"Well I can see why she's not too fond of you," Ezra says, "but I think it's nice you're trying to build bridges."

"Yeah, well, it'll make Hanna happy," Aria says. "What are we gonna do for Thanksgiving?"

"What do you mean?" Ezra says. "I thought you were going up to Spencer's cabin with all the girls and their families?"

"Yes, I am," Aria says. "But what are we gonna do? We have to celebrate somehow, it's our first holiday together."

"Okay," Ezra says. "You wanna stay at mine Tuesday night?"

"Yes," Aria says. "We can order takeout and have pie and watch movies, yeah?"

"Sounds perfect," he says, reaching out and squeezing her hand again. Just then, there is a sharp knock at the door. Ezra pulls away abruptly and hurries to the door, opening it wide as Aria swings her legs off the desk and stands up.

"Mr Fitz," Mr Tamborelli says. "Ah, Miss Montgomery. What's going on here?"

"Mr Fitz was just advising me on correct courtyard etiquette," Aria says brightly. "But I think we're just about done, right?"

"Correct," Ezra says. "Don't let me catch you sitting on any more tables, yeah?"

"Sure," Aria says, beaming. "Great to see you, Vice Principal Tamborelli."

That evening, Aria and Hanna are the first to arrive at the restaurant. Aria is wearing a peach bodycon dress with massive black heels, and Hanna is wearing a black top with a high-waisted floral skirt and wedged sandals. Spencer arrives next, in a black and white checked mini dress and open-toed booties, and she is followed by Emily, who is dressed in a plunging colour blocked playsuit. When they have all greeted each other, Aria leads them over to their table.

"Why is this laid for 8?" Spencer says cautiously.

"Because some people are coming to join us," Aria says excitedly. "I thought this might be a good opportunity for us to all chat!"

"Who is coming to join us?" Hanna asks, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"Caleb, Maya, Toby and Mona," Aria says warmly. The girls all look like they're about to protest but just then, a very nervous looking Caleb and Toby walk into the restaurant.

Ten minutes later, everyone is seated. Emily is at one end of the table with Maya opposite her. Aria is next to her with Mona opposite her. Hanna is on her other side, with Caleb opposite her, and Spencer is on his other side with Toby opposite her. "So Mona," Aria says, breaking the awkward silence. "I heard you were in AP Biology this year? How are you finding the new teacher?"

"Yeah, not too bad actually," Mona says. "What about that Mr. Fitz though? I didn't make AP English and I'm not in his homeroom so I hardly see him. He is way hot, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Aria says, her cheeks flaming, and now everybody relaxes.

Caleb's face breaks into a broad grin and he teases, "Has somebody got a crush on her English teacher, Miss Aria?"

"Well it sure looks like it, doesn't it?" Aria says, fanning herself. "It's not my fault, have you seen his face?"

"Too right," Hanna laughs. "Toby, how is your sister?"

"My stepsister," Toby corrects. "Yeah, I think she's okay. I haven't seen her in a while."

"Maya, have you lived in California your whole life?" Spencer asks across the table and Maya shakes her head, laughing. The sound breaks up the awkward silence and from then, the conversation flows easily.

"I've got it," Aria insists. "I don't want any money from any of you, really."

"Aria," Toby begins to protest, but Spencer cuts him off, putting her hand on his arm.

"Don't bother," she says wisely. "When Aria gets an idea in her head, you'll struggle to change it."

"We should do this again though," Caleb says, hugging Hanna from behind. "Someone else can pay next time."

"Definitely," Aria says brightly. "Right, we need to get out of the way. Hanna, your mom needs the table."

"I actually need to go anyway," Maya says. "Thank you so much for inviting me, Aria, it was so nice to get to know you all a bit better. Em, you want a lift?"

"I better go too," Caleb says. "Thanks, Aria, so nice to finally meet you properly. Hanna, I'll walk you home?"

"Yeah, I need to go too," Toby says. "Spence, I'll call you. Good to catch up with everyone."

"Okay, great," Aria says, hugging everyone goodbye and then turning to Mona. "Did you have a good evening, Mona?"

"Yeah," Mona says, beaming. "I do need to go though; I have a curfew."

"Ah okay," Aria says, kissing her cheek and then heading down the parking lot and towards her car. She gets behind the wheel and every instinct she has tells her to go home, but instead she pulls out of the lot and drives straight to Ezra's house. She hurries up the stairs, knocks on the door and bursts into the apartment, freezing in her tracks as she sees her father standing opposite Ezra.

"Dad," she gasps. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Byron says. "Do you often visit your English teacher at his home?"

"No," Aria says, turning a shocking shade of scarlet. "Mr Fitz asked me to hand in my assignment today and I completely forgot, so I thought I'd come round and put it through his letterbox."

"And yet you came in?" Byron says.

"She emailed me," Ezra jumps in. "And I said she should just let herself in and leave it on the desk."

"Ah okay," Byron says, slightly confused. "Where is it then?"

"Well, I…" Aria trails off, pale. "I've just realised I needed to print it off."

"Okay," Byron says, absolutely baffled now. "Well, Ezra, I'm glad you've decided to accept my offer. Come on, Aria, I'll drive you home."

"I have my car," Aria says. "Thanks for letting me submit this late, Mr Fitz, I'll drop you an email tonight. Dad, I'm going to stop by Hanna's before I come home so I'll see you later."

"It's late, Aria," Byron says. "Only half an hour please."

"Yes, Dad," Aria says dutifully. "Bye, Mr Fitz." She runs downstairs, jumps into her car and pulls away, stopping across the street so she can watch her dad leave. She sits there for 10 minutes, waiting, drives around the block twice and then parks around the corner and runs back up to Ezra's apartment, knocking on the door and waiting for him to answer this time.

"Aria," Ezra says, sighing. "Hello."

"Oh my God," Aria says, walking into his apartment. "That was so close it was ridiculous. Why didn't you tell me my dad was coming round?!"

"I didn't know!" Ezra says. "But he had good news!"

"You got the job?!" Aria squeals.

"I got the job!" Ezra confirms, laughing as she jumps into his arms, hooking her legs around his waist and kissing him excitedly.

"Oh well done, babe," she says. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you," he says, holding her close to him. "I'm going to hand in my notice tomorrow."

"Oh this is so great," Aria says. "And then we can finally go public with the fact we're dating."

"Yeah," Ezra says, grinning broadly. "So why did you really come round?"

"Oh yeah," she says. "I wanted to tell you something."

"What?" he says curiously.

"I love you," she says tenderly and he smiles, leaning in and kissing her deeply.

"I love you too," he replies honestly.

"I didn't mean it to just slip out earlier," she says. "I've been meaning to say it for ages but I wanted it to be perfect and then…I ruined it."

"Don't be ridiculous," he says. "It was perfect because it was you and me."


	6. Chapter 6 : Family and Secrets

6

"Happy Thanksgiving!" the girls shout, piling into a massive group hug.

"You all look so cute!" Hanna says, examining everybody's outfits. Aria is wearing a black and white long-sleeved top, a high waisted red skirt, a chunky black belt, knee high white socks and black heels. Spencer is wearing a short cream dress, a long red cardigan, long grey socks and brown boots. Emily is dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, a baggy green jumper and grey boots. Hanna herself is dressed in a green long sleeved skater dress and strappy black heels.

"Picture time!" Ella shouts, bouncing forward with a camera. "Smile, girls!"

"Mom," Aria moans, laughing as she poses with the girls. "Where's Mike?"

"He's bringing the food in from the car with your dad," Ella says. "Girls, do you want to watch a movie while we start the cooking?"

"No," Emily protests. "We have to play a game, its Thanksgiving!"

"Okay, a game," Aria laughs. "You sure you don't need help, Mom?"

"Nah, you guys enjoy yourselves," Ella says. "But you have to include Mike and Melissa and Wren."

"Wren?" Hanna says, pulling a face. "Who's Wren?"

"Melissa's fiancé," Spencer says. "Are they here?"

"Yeah, they're upstairs unpacking," Ella says. "So don't start the game until they come down please."

"Fine," Aria says, turning to Spencer with wide eyes. "Is this gonna be the first time you'll meet him, Spence?"

"Yeah," Spencer says. "I don't even know anything about him."

"Know anything about who?" Melissa says, walking into the room.

"Melissa!" Spencer says, running up and throwing her arms around her sister, who smiles broadly. She hugs Hanna and Emily tightly and then her eyes fall on Aria, who has folded her arms across her chest.

"Ah, Aria," Melissa says. "How are you?"

"Great thanks," Aria says, forcing a smile. "How are you, Melissa?"

"Wonderful," Melissa says snidely. "Boyfriend?"

"Yes," Aria says.

"Hmm," Melissa sniffs. "Makes a change. How's Noel?"

"Bi," Aria says frankly and Melissa has to restrain a gasp.

"Well, that's…that's lovely for him," she says eventually. "Right, everybody, this is Wren."

After a few minutes of meeting and greeting, Mike is called into the room and the game begins. About an hour later, Aria excuses herself to refill the drinks and a few moments later, Wren joins her in the kitchen. "Oh hey," Aria says, smiling widely. "Drink?"

"No thanks," Wren says. "Listen, did I detect a bit of an atmosphere between you and Melissa?"

"Yeah, probably," Aria says. "Might be on account of the fact that she hates my guts."

"What?" Wren says. "Why?"

"Probably has something to do with the fact that I made out with her boyfriend when I was in sophomore year," Aria says flippantly. Wren's eyes widen and she grins, continuing, "Don't worry, you're safe. I'm a totally different person now and I'm in a very happy relationship. Not that my parents know, so you better not bring that up actually."

"With…Noel?" Wren says, trying to put pieces of information together.

"No," Aria laughs brightly. "No, Noel's my best friend, has been since we were kids, and we used to hook up – like, a lot - but he's just come out as bi so that's pretty much done."

"Ah okay," Wren says. "Have you tried building bridges with Melissa?"

"Bridges?" Aria laughs. "That would be like trying to bridge the gap between America and Russia. It's fine, it's not really a problem, especially now Melissa doesn't live with Spencer."

"What did Spencer say about you and the ex-boyfriend?" Wren asks, leaning on the counter. "Was she mad at you?"

"She didn't really have the grounds to be mad," Aria says fairly. "Seeing as she got with him at that same frat party."

"What?!" Wren says, aghast.

"Yeah," Aria laughs. "He had wandering hands. Melissa hasn't had the best luck with boyfriends in the past – although she seems to be doing better with you!"

"What makes you say that?" Wren asks. "No offence but you hardly know me."

"Well, you haven't tried to touch my ass yet so…" Aria trails off with a shrug. "Listen, will you cover for me? I want to go and call my boyfriend."

"Sure," Wren says, carrying the tray of drinks back into the living room as Aria sneaks outside and dials Ezra's number.

"Hey you," Ezra says fondly. "How's the cabin life?"

"Amazing," Aria says. "But I wish you could be here."

"Hey, maybe next Thanksgiving, eh?" Ezra says. "And we still have Christmas – you really think you'll be able to spend Christmas Eve at my place?"

"I'll have to be creative with my lies but I think so," Aria says. "And then after that, no more secrets."

"No more secrets," Ezra agrees. "Right, well my mom's calling me so I better go. I love you."

"I love you too," Aria says. "And I miss you."

"Miss you more," Ezra says and then he hangs up.

"Aria?" Ella calls. "Come inside, honey, it's freezing."

"Yeah, sorry," Aria says. "Just needed some air."

"Are you okay?" Ella says, her voice full of concern. "Are you crying?"

"No," Aria says, wiping her eyes. "Just the wind. How's the cooking going?"

"Messy," Ella laughs. "But we're getting there and it's been lovely to catch up with everyone."

"Yeah it has," Aria says. "Maybe we should think about making this an annual thing, invite more people. We're all off to college so soon and it would give people an excuse to come home."

"That's a lovely idea," Ella says. "Let's just see how this weekend pans out first though, eh?"

"Okay," Aria says, and Ella turns back towards the kitchen. "Mom?"

"Yes, dear?" Ella says.

"I love you," Aria says.

"Oh honey," Ella says, smiling widely. "I love you too."

* * *

"Surprise," Aria says as Ezra opens his front door. "Did you miss me?"

"So much," he says, looking her up and down as she walks into his apartment. She is wearing a trench coat, thigh high stockings and her shiny black heels and he has no idea what she is wearing underneath.

"I missed you too," she says seductively, starting to unbutton her coat, and now Ezra drops onto the sofa, his jaw dropping as his legs give way. She is wearing almost nothing underneath, just a lacy black bra which is almost completely sheer and a thong which matches. "I thought you deserved a present for getting that job," she says, straddling his lap and kissing him deeply.

"Oh I don't know if I deserve a present as wonderful as this," he says, pulling her even closer so her chest is pressed against his. "How was Thanksgiving?"

"We'll talk later," she says. "Just kiss me."

"You don't have to ask me twice," he says, pressing his lips against hers and slipping his tongue into her mouth. She kisses him back for a few moments before moving her lips to his neck and fumbling with his belt. Before she can get it fully undone, however, there is a sharp knock at the door and they both freeze.

"Ezra!" a voice says primly and Ezra visibly blanches. "Ezra, I know you're in there, open the door!"

"Just a minute, Mom!" Ezra shouts. "I'm with a student, just give me a moment!"

Aria stares at him, wide-eyed, for a split second, before whirling off his lap, grabbing her coat and rebuttoning it quickly. "Call me," she says. "When she's gone."

"I will," he says, kissing her briefly as he rebuckles his belt. "I love you, I'm so so sorry."

Aria nods and then gestures to the door and he pulls it open wide. "Mom," he says stiffly. "How are you?"

"Fine, darling, how are you?" Dianne says, waltzing into the apartment. "Ah, hello young lady, and you are?"

"Aria Montgomery," Aria says, turning scarlet. "I was just leaving. Thank you so much for your help, Mr Fitz."

"Fitzgerald, dear," Dianne says and now Aria turns on Ezra, shocked.

"What?" Aria says. "Ezra Fitzgerald? Really?"

"Really," Ezra says, grinning sheepishly. "Don't you have an appointment, Miss Montgomery?"

"I do," Aria says. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Fitzgerald. Bye, Mr Fitz." She hurries out of the apartment and down to her car, leaving Ezra alone with his mother.

"Pretty girl," Dianne says, walking around his apartment. "Why was she dressed like a stripper?"

"I think she said she was going to see her boyfriend after our appointment," Ezra says, turning towards the kitchen to hide his blush.

"Her…boyfriend?" Dianne says, picking a picture up off the shelf. "You sure that outfit wasn't for you?"

"Of course not," Ezra lies firmly. "I'm her…oh." She is holding a picture of Ezra and Aria together and there is no denying they are a couple. "Mom, you don't-"

"What on earth are you thinking?!" Dianne says furiously. "You will break it off with her immediately or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Ezra says, anger rising up inside him. "You'll report me? Have me sent to prison just to teach me a lesson? What would the people at the club think of that?! You are not the boss of me, Mom; this is nothing to do with you so just stay out of it!"

"Ezra, think about what you are doing," Dianne pleads. "This could ruin your career! It could ruin your life!"

"She's worth the risk," Ezra says seriously. "I love her and she loves me."

"She's a child!" Dianne says. "She doesn't know the first thing about love and neither do you!"

"What we have is more real than anything you ever had with Dad," Ezra says. "And I'm not going to throw it away, not for any job."

"She is not worth this," Dianne says. "And I'll prove it to you!"

"Just get out, Mom," Ezra says. "I'm not interested in having you here anymore. Just leave."

"I'll be back," Dianne says. "I'll make you see if it's the last thing I do."

* * *

"Hey," Ezra says as he lets Aria back into his apartment. "Thank you for coming back – I'm so sorry about yesterday."

"It's okay," she says, leaning up and kissing him gently. "What did she say?"

"She knows about us," he explains quietly and Aria gasps. "No, no, it's okay, she's not going to tell anyone. She can't, she won't send her own son to jail. She does want me to end it, but you don't have to worry about that."

"Okay," Aria says doubtfully. "Why didn't you tell me your name was Fitzgerald?"

"It never came up," he says, shrugging. "I changed it before I started college."

"Why?" Aria asks.

"Well because at that point, I still wanted to be a writer," he says. "And I knew I'd never make it with a name like that – too much heritage."

"Fair enough," Aria laughs. "Listen, I came straight from the gym and I'm really sweaty and gross – can I use your shower?"

"Of course," Ezra says. "You shower, I'll order us some food, okay?"

"Okay," she says, leaning up and kissing him again. She heads into the bathroom, locks the door and strips off, stepping into a shower and allowing the warm water to cascade over her for a few minutes. She washes her hair quickly and then steps out, grabbing Ezra's towel and wrapping it round herself. She is about to unlock the door when she hears Ezra's voice, raised above its ordinary volume and she freezes.

"Mom, I told you I didn't want you here," he says loudly. "What do you want?"

"I've been doing some digging about your precious Aria," Dianne says and Aria pales, sitting down on the floor to listen. "And it turns out she's not the angel you think she is."

"I never said she was an angel," Ezra says. "I said I love her." Aria beams, her heart swelling.

"I spoke to some of her friends," Dianne says. "They had a few choice words which are…unflattering to say the least."

"Like what?" Ezra says.

"Alternative," Dianne says scathingly. "Slutty. Shallow. Homewrecker. She is clearly not good enough for you." Aria gasps, wrapping her arms around herself as she thinks about the validity of Dianne's description.

"Sounds like whoever you spoke to wasn't a friend," Ezra says coldly. "So what if Aria's 'alternative'? I love her fashion sense, and it makes her writing and her art all the more special. 'Shallow' is just plain wrong, she's bright and passionate and yeah, she cares about how she looks, but she cares about a damn sight more than that too. As for 'slutty', 'homewrecker', I think that's unfair. She has had her fair share of fun and made a few mistakes along the way but she was a kid and she's grown up a lot since then and I know for a fact she would never cheat on me. She is beautiful and kind and intelligent and if anything, I am not good enough for her. Now get out of my apartment."

"Ezra," Dianne begins but Aria can just see Ezra shaking his head and now she jumps to her feet, dressing hurriedly.

"Goodbye, Mom," Ezra says and then Aria hears the door slam. There is a moment's silence and then a quiet knock on the bathroom door. "Aria?" he says hesitantly. "Can I come in?"

She looks in the mirror, fighting back tears, and then straightens up, opening the door. "I've got to go," she says abruptly.

"Wait, Aria, please," Ezra pleads, grabbing her and pulling her back towards him. "Please can we just talk?"

"I need to go," Aria repeats, tugging her arm out of his grip tearfully.

"Aria, don't listen to my mother, she's-" Ezra says desperately.

"Maybe she's right," Aria says, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Maybe I am a homewrecker, maybe I'm not good enough for you."

"Don't think that," Ezra says, grabbing her wrists and holding her close to him. "Don't you ever think that, Aria, please."

"I have to go," she sobs. "Please let me go."

"Promise me you'll come back," Ezra says tearfully. "Promise me you're not leaving me."

"I can't," she says. "I need to think, Ezra, I need space."

"But I love you," he says.

"I love you too," she says, sobbing as she leans in and kisses him. "I love you so much but I don't want to ruin your life."

"Don't say that," he says, backhanding a tear from his cheek. "Please, Aria, just stay here and talk to me."

"I can't," Aria says, pulling herself away from him and hurrying out of the front door. She runs down to her car and gets about halfway home before her tears overwhelm her and she has to pull over. After about ten minutes, she manages to compose herself enough to get home and then she hurries inside and upstairs to her room without seeing her family.

At 7, her mom knocks on her door and shouts, "Dinner!" Aria ignores her, curling up even tighter and burying herself in her pillows. 5 minutes, Ella knocks again and this time she walks in, stopping in her tracks as she sees the state of her daughter. Aria has red eyes, wet hair and tear tracks decorating her cheeks. Her sheets are wet with her tears and she is wearing her oldest holey sweats. "What happened?" Ella asks, walking over and sitting on the bed beside her.

"Nothing," Aria says. "I'm just not hungry."

"Baby, I know there's something wrong," Ella says. "Please tell me what it is so I can fix it."

"You can't fix everything, Mom," Aria says tearfully. "I just want to stay in bed."

"Do you want me to bring you some dinner?" Ella asks and Aria shakes her head, fresh tears starting to drip down her cheeks.

"Okay," Ella says sympathetically. "You just stay here honey." Aria watches her mom leave, hears her go downstairs and then a muffled conversation with her dad and Mike. Minutes later, her dad appears in the doorway as if he didn't believe his wife.

"What's wrong?" Byron asks. "Can I help?"

"No," Aria says, rolling over so her back is to the door.

She listens as her dad walks away and then another set of footsteps come up the stairs. "Move over," Mike says, climbing into bed beside her and pulling her into a hug. "Can I do anything?"

"Just stay here with me," Aria says, hugging her brother tightly. "Thank you."

"No problem," Mike says gently. "It will all be okay tomorrow."

* * *

"Good morning!" Spencer says, walking up to Hanna's locker, where Hanna and Emily are already waiting. "Did you guys have a good rest of the weekend?"

"Yeah, it was nice," Hanna says. "My dad came into town so we had lunch Saturday and then Caleb came round Sunday."

"Sounds lovely," Spencer says. "Something wrong, Em?"

"Have you guys seen Aria?" Emily, who has been scanning the halls, asks.

"No, not since Saturday," Spencer says, glancing round the corridors. "Why, is something wrong?"

"She's normally here by now," Emily says. "And I just saw Mike so…"

"Maybe she's ill?" Hanna suggests. "Try not to worry, you guys. If she doesn't turn up, we'll head round to hers later, okay?"

"Okay," Emily says. "You've got English first period, right? See if you can get anything out of Fitz?"

"Sure," Spencer says reassuringly. "We'll see you at break?"

"Of course," Emily says, walking away. As soon as she is out of earshot, Spencer turns on Hanna.

"You really think she's alright?" she asks anxiously and Hanna frowns.

"I don't know," Hanna says. "Em's right, we should speak to Fitz. Let's get going now, maybe she's gone straight to his classroom."

"Yeah, that's possible," Spencer agrees, walking quickly through the corridors and down to Fitz's room. They walk in and their faces fall; they are the only people in there apart from Ezra himself.

"Girls," he says, checking his watch. "You're early. Class doesn't start for another ten minutes."

"We were hoping Aria would be here," Spencer says quietly. "Have you seen her today?"

"No," Ezra says stiffly. "Is she not here?"

"Not yet," Hanna says, lowering her voice. "Did…did something happen between you two? Did you break up?"

"No," Ezra says. "Take a seat, girls, please."

Hanna and Spencer exchange a significant look before heading to their usual seats at the back of the room. Slowly but surely the classroom fills up until the bell rings on the hour. Ezra gets up to close the door and as he is doing so, Aria slips through and heads straight to her seat without looking at him. She is wearing black tights today instead of socks, her hair is up in two messy French plaits and she has forgone any jewellery. She has headphones in her ears which she doesn't take out until the second Ezra starts teaching, ignoring her friends' attempts to speak to her.

An hour later, as the bell goes, Ezra says, "Miss Montgomery, if you could stay behind-" but before he's even finished, she has slipped out of the door and is gone. Spencer and Hanna exchange another look and then chase after her, following her into a nearby bathroom and snagging Emily on the way.

"Get out," Hanna says sharply, shooing some freshmen out. She checks all the cubicles and then nods to Spencer, who grabs Aria's arm and forces her to face them.

"What's wrong?" Spencer asks quietly, but Aria shakes her head, sticking her chin up and fighting back the tears which are so obviously threatening to fall.

"Did something happen with Ezra?" Emily presses gently and now Aria squats down, burying her head in her knees. Hanna crouches down beside her and rubs her back reassuringly until Aria regains her composure and she stands up.

"I can't talk about it," Aria says. "Will you do me a favour?"

"Anything," Hanna says kindly. "What can we do to help?"

"Cover for me," Aria says bluntly. "I can't… I can't be here today, I'm too tired, so just cover for me and tell Ezra I'll meet him at his apartment after school?"

"Of course," Spencer says. "Anything else?"

"Yes, actually," Aria says as a thought pops into her head. "Did any of you speak to a woman about me? Posh, mid 50s…?"

"No," Spencer and Emily say in unison but Hanna doesn't reply and Aria looks at her, horrified.

"You?" Aria says breathlessly.

"No, not me," Hanna promises. "But Mona said that she…"

"Mona," Aria sighs. "Of course. Well you can tell her from me that she's one to call anybody shallow."

"She said that?" Emily gasps.

"To Ezra's mom," Aria says, nodding. "She also said I was a slut and a homewrecker. She's ruined everything."

"Oh Aria," Spencer says. "As if Ezra will listen to Mona."

"That's not the point," Aria says. "His mom said that I wasn't good enough for him. Maybe she's right."

"She is not," Hanna says sharply. "You and Ezra are a great couple, you are perfectly matched and you love each other very much. Mona knows nothing about you and Ezra's mother even less. Do not listen to either of them."

"Hanna's right," Emily says and Spencer nods in agreement. "What did Ezra say?"

"I don't know really," Aria says. "I just left."

"Oh Aria, you have to talk to him," Spencer insists. "Go to his place now and catch up on some sleep; we'll tell him what's going on, okay?"

"Okay," Aria says tearfully. "Don't tell anyone else."

"Of course not," Emily says. "Now go. We love you."

"I love you guys," Aria agrees, hugging them all and then hurrying out of the bathroom.

"You deal with Fitz," Hanna says. "I'm gonna take Mona down."

"Don't do anything stupid," Spencer says firmly. "That won't help Aria."

"Alright," Hanna says, marching towards the door.

"Hanna?" Emily says and the blonde turns back. "Give her hell." Hanna nods, winks and then heads out of the bathroom.

"Fitz?" Spencer says to Emily.

"Yeah but we've got to be quick," Emily says.

The two brunettes hurry back to Mr. Fitz's classroom and stop in the doorway. Ezra is working at his desk and he looks up as they appear. "Have you spoken to her?" he asks seriously, getting up and closing the door behind them. "Did she tell you what went down?"

"She did," Spencer confirms. "Your mother sounds…fun?"

"Don't," Ezra says sharply. "Is Aria okay?"

"Of course not," Emily says, rolling her eyes. "She's devastated."

"What do I do?" Ezra says. "How do I convince that I don't give a shit what my mother thinks?"

"I don't know," Spencer says. "She's gone home – she said she'll meet you at your apartment after school."

"Okay," Ezra sighs. "I love her, you know."

"Of course we do," Emily says. "We know it better than Aria does. She's really struggling to believe it, I think."

"Well she's probably surprised she's found a guy she doesn't want to cheat on," Ezra says, sitting down at his desk.

"Hey!" Spencer snaps and Ezra's head jerks up in shock. "Aria has never in her life cheated on her boyfriend. All of her exes broke up with her because they didn't like her being so popular with the guys. She has this habit of choosing really jealous, possessive guys, and it never works out but she never cheats, so get your facts straight."

"And as for the 'homes' she 'wrecks'," Emily says, using her fingers as quotation marks, "that happened twice and both times, she didn't know the guy had a girlfriend. Noel told Aria that he and Mona had broken up three weeks before they actually did and Ian…well Ian was just a creeper, he got with 4 girls at that party and none of them knew that he was engaged."

"Aria is the most loyal person I know," Spencer says. "And she deserves to be loved by someone who is going to be loyal to her."

"I'm going to be loyal to her," Ezra says.

"Well tell her," Emily sighs, clearly exasperated. "Because she's so scared of this failing that she'll destroy it herself if she thinks it will make it hurt less."

That afternoon, Ezra rushes home after school, planning to shower and change before Aria comes over. However, his plans are halted as he walks through the front door and sees her fast asleep in his bed. He sets the bag down and walks over to her, sitting down on the edge of the bed and shaking her shoulder gently. "Aria," he whispers. "Wake up."

"What?" she says vaguely. "What's happening?"

"I'm home," he says and she smiles in her sleep.

"Good," she says. "That's good. Come to bed."

"Don't you wanna talk?" he says, climbing over her and under the covers.

"Later," she says sleepily. "I love you."

"I love you too," he says, kissing her forehead and then settling down beside her to sleep.

A few hours later, he rolls over and punches the wall, waking up with a loud groan. "Oops," Aria laughs from the kitchen and he opens his eyes to see her making him coffee in the kitchen, dressed only in one of his T-shirts.

"You're tiny," he observes, propping himself up on one elbow.

"Excuse me?" she asks, frowning.

"You heard," he grins. "I never realised it before because you're always wearing those massive heels, but you really are little."

"Alright," she laughs. "Did you just want to insult me or did you actually wanna talk?"

"I just wanted to insult you," he teases, getting out of bed. "No, let's talk. How are you feeling today about everything that went down?"

"Better," she admits, sitting at the kitchen table. "I spoke to the girls and they made me see that I was being a bit stupid."

"I also spoke to the girls," Ezra says firmly. "And they made me see that you were being a lot stupid."

"What do you mean?" Aria laughs. "What did they say to you?"

"They told me about Noel and Ian," Ezra says. "And that you never cheated on a boyfriend. How could you stand there and let my mother call you a homewrecker when it is blatantly not true?"

"I think it still counts as home-wrecking," Aria says sadly. "Even if I didn't know they were still a couple. It was Mona, by the way, who talked to your mom. I don't expect she knew it was your mom; she just jumped at the opportunity to slag me off."

"Hmm," Ezra says, suddenly deep in thought.

"What?" Aria says. "What happened there? What did I miss?"

"Well, Mona was suspended today," Ezra explains quietly. "She was caught with all the AP exam answers in her locker; apparently she planned to sell them on."

"What?!" Aria gasps. "Mona would never…Hanna."

"Hanna what?" Ezra says, frowning.

"Hanna must have set her up," Aria says. "I don't know how she got hold of those answers though… Maybe Mona was cheating and Hanna knew but she kept quiet until now… God I need to speak to her."

"Aria this is serious," Ezra says. "This will go on Mona's permanent record; if she didn't do it, Hanna needs to speak up."

"Hanna wouldn't do that to Mona," Aria says. "No matter how angry she was. Don't worry about that now, we were talking about us."

"Yes we were," Ezra says. "Aria, you're not a homewrecker or shallow. You are alternative but that's not an insult, not at all. As for slutty, you've always owned that side of your personality and you can't be about to let some old woman shame you for being in control of your body?"

"No," Aria agrees eventually. "You're right. Your mom was wrong about a lot of things. She doesn't know me and she certainly doesn't know us. But I don't know yet if she was right about you being too good for me."

"She wasn't," Ezra says firmly. "Don't think it – even for a second. Me and you, we're…we're meant to be, Aria. Please, don't let my _mom_ ruin this for us."

Aria is quiet for a long time before she looks up at him and smiles. "Okay," she says. "You're right, we shouldn't let her ruin this."

"I love you," he says seriously. "So much that when I'm not with you, my chest hurts. And yesterday, when I made you cry, I felt like I was…"

"It's okay," Aria says. "I understand; I feel it too. Come here." She puts one hand under his chin and pulls him into a kiss, slipping her tongue into his mouth as she slides onto his lap. She pulls her shirt over her head and starts to unbutton his when there is a smart rap on the door. "Are you _kidding_ me?" she groans, clambering off him and starting to gather her school uniform. "We're never having sex again."

"I'll get rid," Ezra says. "You hide."

"Okay," Aria says, leaning up and wiping her lipstick off his cheek. She hurries into the bathroom and Ezra pulls open the door, gasping as he sees a dripping wet Spencer, Emily and Hanna bundled together on his doorstep.

"Girls," he says, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to speak to Aria," Hanna says anxiously. "Please tell me she's here."

"She's here," Ezra confirms, buttoning up his shirt. "What's happened?"

"Where is she?" Spencer says tearfully.

"In the bathroom," Ezra says, his face alive with concern. "Girls, what's going on?"

"We need to speak to Aria," Hanna repeats, her voice breaking as she tears up.

"I'm here," Aria says, emerging in her school uniform. She takes one look at their faces and raises her hand to her eyes, starting to cry. "They…they found her?"

"Yeah," Emily says, choking back sobs. "They found her…her body."


	7. Chapter 7 : Secrets and Backstories

7

"Oh god," Aria says, dropping into one of the kitchen chairs and putting her head in her hands. "Are they…are they sure?"

"She was buried," Spencer says hoarsely. "They think…Aria, they don't think she was killed any more than 10 days ago."

"What?" Aria says, looking up at them.

"They believe…that she managed to escape her captor," Spencer says quietly. "Whoever had been holding her all this time lost her and when they found her again…"

"They killed her," Aria says, her voice breaking. "Oh my God."

"What is happening?" Ezra says, completely baffled. "Who are we talking about?"

"You never told him?" Spencer says softly.

"I don't talk about it," Aria says tearfully. "Not even to you guys and it's not…it's not something you can just slip into conversation."

"I understand," Spencer says gently, "but you have to tell him now."

"I know," Aria sighs. "It's just hard to know where to begin."

"At the beginning," Ezra suggests, and all four girls shoot him the most scathing looks they can muster.

"I told you that we'd all known each other since Kindergarten," Aria says, reaching out and squeezing a weeping Hanna's hand. "The four of us were the best of friends. Except… there were 5. Alison DiLaurentis was the fifth member of our group. And we did everything together. She was sweet and pretty and just a lovely girl. And then when we were 10, in the second week of the summer vacation, she disappeared."

"Without a trace," Emily says in a trance-like voice. "That's what they used to say on the news all the time."

"I forgot about that," Spencer says sadly. "Anyway, they questioned us for weeks."

"Months," Hanna corrects quietly. "Our whole last year of elementary school was tainted by police and reporters and so much pain and loss and shit."

"And then we agreed," Aria says softly. "We agreed that when we started middle school, we wouldn't let it follow us. So we stopped talking about it, almost completely."

"Except for one day every year," Emily finishes tearfully. "The day she went missing."

"It was my fault," Aria says abruptly and now all the girls protest.

"Aria, you know that's not true," Spencer says, reaching out and squeezing her hand.

"Why would you even think that?" Ezra asks gently.

"The day it happened," Aria explains quietly, "the five of us had arranged to go to the park. I had to go past Ali's house to get there so we agreed to walk together. And then I fought with my mom and when I got to Ali's, she wasn't ready, and I was in such a bad mood that I didn't wait. And Ali never came." Her whole face screws up now and she breaks down in a fresh wave of tears. "Why didn't I just wait?"

"It's not your fault," Emily says, wiping her tears away as fast as they fall. "It could have been any one of us. And none of us told an adult when she didn't show. We're all equally to blame."

"Did the police have any suspects?" Ezra asks, sitting down next to Aria and pulling her close to him.

"Loads," Spencer says vaguely, disdain dripping from her every word. "All of us, all of our parents, the vicar, our teachers, nobody was safe from Detective Wilden's outstanding police work. We had one though which really stood out."

"Oh?" Ezra says.

"Ken," Aria says. "Ali's dad. He was a creepy guy, nobody liked him and when she went missing…her mom and her brother, they were torn apart. But he just went about his business like he didn't give a shit."

"Some people-" Ezra begins but Aria cuts him off, shaking her head.

"I know what you're going to say," she insists. "Some people deal with it that way, I know, but this wasn't that. He lied to the police, he…God, he was creepy. He's the only one I don't miss at all."

"What do you mean?" Ezra asks.

"The DiLaurentises skipped town a year after she went missing," Spencer explains. "Jason was due to start freshman year and he needed a fresh start."

"I miss Jason," Aria says thoughtfully. "He was such a nice boy."

"Good brother to Alison too," Emily says.

"He was your first kiss," Hanna remembers, her eyes on Aria who blushes.

"Oh my God, yeah," Spencer laughs. "You were what…10? And he would have been 12. He always had the biggest crush on you."

"You always go for the older guys," Emily laughs, eyeing Ezra who grins.

"Anyway," Aria says, shooting Em a withering look, "They dug up the DiLaurentises lawn 3 times and didn't find anything so they couldn't charge him or anything. Where…where did they find the body?"

Spencer opens her mouth to reply but suddenly shakes her head and Aria can see she's fighting back tears. Emily does the same and finally Hanna says, "They found it under the climbing frame in the park. Some dog unearthed part of her hand and a child…"

"Oh God," Ezra says. "Was she…whole?"

"No," Spencer sobs and now Aria dissolves, sobbing onto Ezra's chest until she can't cry anymore.

"God," she says eventually. "It's almost 11, I need to call my mom. I'll tell her we're all together, I expect our parents are worried."

"Good shout," Hanna says wearily. "I don't want to go home…Everything there is just a reminder…"

"You can all stay at mine," Spencer says. "We'll sleep in the barn or something."

"Okay, I'll tell my mom," Aria says, stepping out of the front door and dialling her mom's number. "Mom?"

"Oh God, Aria, thank God," Ella says, bursting into tears. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I went for a walk after school," Aria says emotionlessly. "The girls found me and told me what happened with…with Ali and then Mr Fitz found us and we were all a bit upset so he took us back to his apartment and he's just helped us calm down a bit."

"Darling, I'm so sorry," Ella says. "I know this must have been a real shock."

"It's just been so long," Aria says, starting to tear up again. "I'd sort of got used to the idea that we'd never know and now…"

"I know," Ella says. "Jessica and Jason are coming back to town tomorrow and Jason has asked to see you girls. He's coming to ours, will you tell the others?"

"Sure," Aria says. "Mom, we're gonna stay at Spencer's tonight. What time is Jason coming?"

"11," Ella says. "So make sure you're back by then, hey?"

"Yes Mom," Aria says. "I love you."

"I love you too," Ella sobs. "Bye, baby."

Aria hangs up and walks back into the apartment, sitting down on Ezra's lap and leaning in close to him. "Jason is coming back tomorrow with Ali's mom," Aria says quietly. "He wants to see us – he's gonna be at my house at 11."

"Okay," Spencer says. "We should probably get home. Thank you, Mr. Fitz, for letting us be here tonight. We needed a safe place to…process without all the badgering from the parents."

"You're welcome any time," Ezra says quietly as the girls gather their things. "Aria, I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Aria says, leaning up and kissing him absentmindedly. "I love you."

"I love you too," he says. "Good night girls."

They walk in a daze back to Aria's car and drive back to Spencer's house, where immediately they are bombarded by frantic parents. "Not now, Mom," Spencer says. "We need to sleep."

"Emily, come home," Pam says quietly.

"I can't, Mom," Emily says. "We need to be together tonight. Alone. Please just let us handle this in our own way."

"Hanna," Ashley begins, but Veronica shakes her head, cutting her off.

"Let them go," Veronica says. "They need to process this by themselves first."

* * *

"Morning girls," Ella says as they trudge through the front door. "I've made you breakfast if you're hungry?"

"No thanks, Mom," Aria says, walking into the living room and dropping onto the sofa. The other three girls copy her and Ella examines them from the doorway. They are all wearing yoga pants, sneakers and vest tops with hoodies thrown on top: Aria is dressed in grey and black, Hanna is wearing black and white, Spencer is wearing navy blue and white and Emily is wearing dark green and black. They all look tired and haven't bothered to wear make-up, tying their hair up lazily to get it out of their faces. Aria has hers piled in a bun on top of her head, Emily has a high ponytail and Spencer and Hanna have both plaited theirs. Hanna is crying, but silently, like she doesn't even know she's doing it, Aria and Emily both look like they could burst into tears at any second and Spencer looks drawn, almost numb in her shock. Ella is about to offer them a drink when the doorbell rings and they all shoot to their feet.

"Come in, Jason," Ella says, hugging the 21-year-old. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"We lost her a long time ago," he says quietly. "I suppose this is closure really. We finally know what happened to her."

"Yeah," Ella says. "Well the girls are through here."

Jason walks into the living room, hugs Emily, Spencer and Hanna tightly and then turns to Aria. She bursts into tears on the spot and throws herself at him. The force of his hug lifts her right off the ground and she wraps her legs around his waist, refusing to let go for a full five minutes. He clings to her just as tightly, whispering in her ear in a voice so quiet that the others have no hope of hearing it. Finally, he puts her down and both of their faces are soaked with tears.

"I wanted to talk to you all about the funeral arrangements," he says, sitting in the armchair. Aria drops back down into the sofa and links arms with Spencer, wiping her eyes even as fresh tears fall. "Obviously Ali had a much longer life than any of us thought," he continues. "She was a teenager, almost an adult, when she died. Not a little girl, and the funeral service my mother planned when she first…you know, um…it's not appropriate any more. But you're teenagers, so I was wondering if you'd give us your input?"

"Of course," Hanna says quietly. "Anything you need."

Half an hour later, the girls are looking over some plans when Jason stands up. "Aria," he says abruptly. "Will you step outside with me please? I could use some air."

"Of course," Aria says, scrambling to her feet. She slips under his arm and lets her lead him out of the front door, arm wrapping his waist as she goes.

"Where has Jason gone?" Ella asks as she enters the room. "And Aria?"

"They're just on the porch," Spencer says gently. "There is no need to panic."

"What are they doing?" Ella asks, peering out of the window while trying to look like she's not peering.

"Jason's probably proposing right about now," Hanna says sarcastically. "Seriously, Aria has all the luck with fit boys."

"What do you mean?" Ella says.

"Well, with Jason and um…Noel," Hanna says, faltering slightly.

"Oh yes," Ella says. "Seriously though, he does look like he would propose."

"Don't worry, Mrs Montgomery, she wouldn't say yes," Hanna says reassuringly.

"He's not actually proposing," Spencer reminds them and Hanna laughs.

"Seriously though, he's probably propositioning her," Emily says. "He's been in love with her since they were kids."

"She loved him too," Spencer says quietly.

"Well maybe this is what she needs," Ella says. "She's been single for a long time."

"Mhmm," Hanna says, thinking hard. "She probably wouldn't go there though."

"Why?" Ella asks curiously.

"Because…" Hanna trails off, blushing.

"She's still hung up on Noel," Spencer interjects quickly.

"Noel?" Ella says. "But Noel adores Aria – if she wants it too, why wouldn't they be together?"

"Probably because he's boffing Sean," Hanna says bitterly.

"What?" Ella gasps.

"He's gay," Emily says bluntly. "He loves her but he's not…in love with her."

"Oh," Ella says, surprised. "Whoa."

"Yeah," Spencer laughs. "But she won't go for Jason, no matter how much she loves him."

Meanwhile, outside, Jason has wrapped both arms around Aria and is clinging to her desperately. "I missed you so much," he says quietly.

"Me too," Aria says tearfully. "How have you been?"

"Yeah, up and down," Jason says. "I feel like we've missed out on a lot."

"Yeah," Aria says, smiling. "You missed my pink hair."

"Pink?" Jason laughs, pulling away so he can see her face. "Really?"

"Yep," Aria says. "I got a school rule introduced and everything."

"Impressive," Jason says. "I heard you won Homecoming Queen."

"Yeah," Aria says. "I cried my eyes out – Ali would have been so proud."

"Yeah she would," Jason says. "Do you still miss her?"

"Every day," Aria says. "There hasn't been a day since she disappeared when I haven't thought about her, she's been with me through everything. I write to her in my diary, I talk to her, I… she was my best friend, Jason. And I guess I always just thought she'd be back."

"Me too," Jason says. "Do you still blame yourself?"

"Of course," Aria sighs. "It was my fault."

"It wasn't," Jason says honestly. "If anything, it was mine."

"What?" Aria says. "I didn't even see you that day."

"Yeah, I know," Jason says. "Do you remember the day before?"

"Not really," Aria says, shaking her head. "Do you?"

"I remember every second of the day before," Jason says. "I've played it over and over in my head. We argued, you know?"

"Did we?" Aria says. "About what?"

"The dumbest thing," Jason says disapprovingly. "About whose birthday was better. It went on for hours, everyone was sick of us, but we wouldn't give it up and when it was home time, we weren't speaking. That evening, my mother asked me to walk you and Ali to the park the next day. And I was so angry at you that I refused."

"But I didn't-" Aria begins and Jason nods.

"I know," Jason says. "You didn't walk with her. If I'd known, I would have taken her myself. I would have made a big point of dropping her off, saying hey to all the other girls and completely ignoring you. But I didn't. Ali walked alone and at some point on that 2-minute walk, the same walk she did everyday…"

"Somebody took her," Aria says tearfully. "It's not your fault, Jason."

"If it's yours, it's mine too," Jason says. "We have to share the blame."

"Okay," she says, leaning her head on his chest. "When is the funeral?"

"Thursday," he says. "Close friends and family only. And then we'll have a memorial service on Friday that anybody can attend."

"And then?" she says tearfully. "You're leaving again?"

"No," he says. "I'm going to stick around and follow the investigation. I was too young last time but now I can see how badly it was handled. I'm not going to let that happen again."

"I'm glad you're staying," she says.

"Me too," Jason says. "Maybe we could…get dinner or something?"

"I'd like that," Aria says. "But I have a boyfriend. A secret boyfriend…who I love very much."

"Oh okay," Jason says. "Well even so, you know, it would be nice to catch up."

"Definitely," Aria says, hugging him again.

"Aria?" Ezra says, walking up the garden path.

"Ezra," Aria says, pulling away from Jason as her face lights up. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you," Ezra says. "You're not answering your phone."

"Oh, it's inside," Aria says apologetically. "Thank you for coming."

"Do you need a break?" he asks gently. "We could go for a drive."

"My mom's here," Aria says awkwardly. "We'd need to think of a cover."

"We're getting pretty good at that," Ezra says. "So is that a yes?"

"Um…" Aria thinks for a moment, but before she can reply, Spencer appears.

"Aria, can you come look at this?" she asks. "Oh, hi, Ezra!"

"Hi, Spencer," Ezra says, grinning.

"Sure," Aria says. "Ezra, will you wait?"

"Of course," he says. "Is this…?"

"Oh I'm so sorry," Aria says. "Jason, this is Ezra. Ezra, Jason. I'll be right back."

"So you're Alison's brother," Ezra says. "Man, I am so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Jason says. "And you are…the boyfriend?"

"Oh, um…yes, but not to Aria's parents, so I'd appreciate it if…" Ezra says.

"Of course," Jason says. "I've been keeping Aria's secrets since before she could say secret."

"So you knew her when she was really little?" Ezra asks.

"Yeah," Jason laughs. "I mean, all of the girls have been close for a very long time but Aria and Alison were like sisters. Not that you'd know it now, looking at Aria."

"What do you mean?" Ezra asks, frowning.

"I hardly recognised her," Jason says. "She was a proper girlie girl when she was a kid, they both were. They liked pink and princesses and Barbie dolls…and then when Alison went missing and Aria realised that she wasn't coming back any time soon, she changed everything. She cut her hair off and dyed it, threw out her entire wardrobe and started again, spent more time with the guys than the girls, listened to different music, watched different films, got rid of anything that reminded her of what she'd lost. From what I hear, she went off the rails in middle school. And then the summer before high school, those three in there sat her down and told her that she needed to get back to who she really was and it was a real turning point. I mean, she didn't change everything again and she still dresses differently, but she's much more the person I thought she'd be. Homecoming Queen, the most popular girl in school, she does it all because that's what Alison would have done. And she looks out for her friends, because she feels like she let Alison down and because they pulled her out of that hole before it was too late to come back."

"She'd do anything for them," Ezra says sadly. "And you and Aria? You seem very…close?"

"Aria wasn't just Ali's best friend," Jason says quietly. "She was mine too. God, Aria was my everything. My first friend, my first kiss, my first love. And when Ali went missing, she was my rock and I was hers. We have a connection that I don't think will ever break. But she is in love with you and I'm not gonna threaten that. She seems really happy with you. I haven't seen her face light up like that in years. Now it's my turn to ask a question."

"Oh?" Ezra says, frowning.

Jason asks, "How do you know the girls?"

Ezra opens his mouth to reply but before he can do so, Ella comes out of the house. "Ezra!" she says, surprised. "I was going to call and thank you for picking up the girls last night! It was nice to know they were with a responsible adult!"

"It's no trouble," Ezra says.

"What are you doing here?" Ella asks.

"I came to see Aria," Ezra says. "She was particularly upset last night and I wanted to check she was doing okay."

"Ah," Ella says, frowning slightly. "Have you spoken to her?"

"Yes, I have," Ezra says. "I'm going to take her to the library and review her assignment with her – take her mind off everything for a bit."

"That's a lovely idea," Ella says. "Do you want me to get her?"

"No, I'm fine to wait," Ezra says, smiling.

"Okay, would you like a drink?" Ella asks. "Jason, some more tea?"

"No thank you," they say in unison.

"Alright then," Ella says, disappearing back inside.

"You're her teacher?" Jason says disapprovingly. "Are you kidding?"

"I love her," Ezra says firmly. "I wasn't her teacher when it started and I won't be for much longer. Please, don't tell anyone."

"I promised," Jason says. "And besides, you make her really happy. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and look at my sister's funeral plans with the girls."

"Of course," Ezra says. "Tell Aria to take as long as she needs."

* * *

That evening, when Ezra drops Aria home, there are two police cars sitting outside. "What's going on?" Aria says as she undoes her seatbelt.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ezra asks.

"No, don't," Aria says. "Something's wrong. What if Jason said something?"

"He promised he wouldn't," Ezra says, but he looks concerned.

"No, you go," Aria insists. "I'll call you later, let you know what's happening."

"What do I do?" Ezra says.

"Just don't go home yet," Aria says. "Go for a drive, I'll call you when it's safe."

"Okay," Ezra says. "I love you."

"Love you too," Aria says, climbing out of the car and hurrying inside. "Mom?" she shouts, heading into the kitchen. She stops in her tracks as she sees the crowd in the room. All her friends are there with their parents, 5 police are standing round the kitchen table and Mike is sitting in a corner watching them suspiciously. "What the hell is going on?"

"Hanna was attacked," Spencer says seriously. "On her way home from yours. The police think it was the guy who kidnapped Alison."

"What?" Aria gasps, rushing to Hanna's side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hanna says, hugging Aria close. "But they think he's going to keep coming back. Until he gets another doll to play with."

"What does that mean?" Aria says. Now everybody exchanges a look and Veronica turns to Ella and Byron. "You didn't tell her?" she says disbelievingly.

"Didn't tell me what?" Aria says desperately. "What is going on?"

"Honey, the police dug up the entire park looking for bits of Ali's body," Ella says, fighting back tears. "Next to her…to her head, they found a doll of Alison. And four others which look a lot like you girls. You remember the outfits you wore on Thanksgiving?"

"He was watching us?!" Aria gasps.

"We think so, ma'am," one of the police officers says. "And this note was tied to the ankle of your doll." He hands Aria a photograph of her doll and she gasps again. It is dressed in an exact replica of her Thanksgiving outfit and tied to the ankle is a note which reads, 'Who's next? Can you keep a secret? – A'.

"A?!" Aria says. "Who is A?"

"That is what we were hoping you girls could tell us," the detective says.

Aria shakes her head, stepping out of the room, and immediately the other girls follow her. "What do you think?" Aria whispers.

"Has anyone seen Alison's dad since they found her body?" Hanna says, already knowing the answer.

"Hanna, don't," Spencer says. "No father could do that to his daughter, he couldn't."

"You don't know that," Hanna says. "And who's to say that he's doing it alone?"

"What, you think it's more than one person?" Emily asks. "Why?"

"I don't have any reason," Hanna insists. "I'm just saying it's a possibility."

"And we're next," Aria says. "I'm…I'm next."

"We're not going to let that happen," Spencer says, wrapping an arm around Aria's shoulders. "We've got your back, little one."

"Not just us either," Emily says. "We're going to have police surrounding our houses, guarding the school, nobody's going to get to us."

"What?" Aria says, her eyes widening. "What about me and Ezra?"

"Aria, someone is trying to kill us," Hanna says seriously. "And Ezra is only going to be at the school for a couple more weeks and then it doesn't have to be a secret anymore."

"Hanna's right," Spencer says. "Until then we just need to survive."


	8. Chapter 8 : Secrets and Consequences

8

The next day, the four girls arrive together as the police cars pull up. It is cold outside and they have foregone their blazers for matching black winter coats. They have swapped their usual knee high socks for black tights and they are all wearing shiny black heels and fluffy cream scarves. They are wearing light make-up, matching French plaits in their hair and pink armbands with the word 'Alison' written on them. All in all, they look like they are in mourning and as they walk down the school corridors, people talk.

"I heard they didn't even find all of her body."

"I heard that the populars are getting death threats."

"Did you see they've got their own police escort now? They wrap everybody round their little finger."

"Apparently the DiLaurentises are back in town?"

"Yeah, everybody's saying that Jason DiLaurentis totally made out with Aria."

"Wouldn't be surprised. She's a total whore."

"Hey!" Spencer shouts furiously. "A girl has died! Stop spreading vicious gossip and show some respect."

"Just because Alison died doesn't mean Aria's not a slut," the girl says bitchily and Spencer gasps.

Everyone in the corridor falls silent as they watch the tall brunette lunges, as Aria, Hanna and Emily pull her back, as Aria gives the girl the middle finger and as their police escort steps in and ushers them off to their first period. He drops Aria, Hanna and Spencer in Mr Fitz's classroom and then walks Emily to her lesson.

"Hello girls," Ezra says. "How are you?"

"Has anyone told you what's going on?" Hanna asks, as Aria sits a fuming Spencer down.

"No, not really," Ezra says. "Are you girls okay?"

"Whoever killed Alison is coming after us," Aria says tiredly. "We have a 24 hour police escort and everybody in school is bitching about us."

"How do you know they're coming for you?" Ezra asks, his face full of concern.

"We got a note," Spencer says. "From A."

"A?" Ezra says. "Aria, what does this police escort mean for us?"

"It means that we aren't going to spend much time together over the next few weeks. But I'm gonna try and persuade my mom to let me get some extra tutoring," Aria says. "Hopefully I can plant the idea in her head to let me come and see you – with a police escort, she won't suspect anything."

"Okay," Ezra says, closing the blind on the door. "Are you alright?"

"No," Aria says tearfully. "I'm really scared."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he says, pulling her close to him and kissing her quickly. "I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too," she says, stepping back and leaning into Spencer. "We just need to be really careful – people are watching us, making sure we're safe, and I just don't want to…to drop you in it when we're so close to being safe."

"I know," Ezra says. "Please don't cry, Aria. It will be okay."

"I know," Aria says, wiping her eyes.

* * *

"Aria?" Spencer says as she lifts the phone to her ear. "You okay?"

"No, I'm going stir crazy," Aria says. "I hate not being able to come and go as I please. Can I come round to yours?"

"No, let me come to yours," Spencer pleads. "My parents are _really_ pissed at me and I need to get out of here."

"Okay, come round," Aria says. "What did you do to piss your parents off?"

"I'll explain later," Spencer says. "But it's bad."

"Okay, hurry up," Aria says. "Just call me when you get here and I'll text the cop."

"Sure sure," Spencer says.

Ten minutes, Spencer walks into Aria's bedroom and throws herself down on her best friend's bed. "You alright?" Aria asks, wiggling into her side.

"Yeah, not too bad," Spencer says. "But I did something way stupid and none of my family are talking to me."

"What, not even Melissa?" Aria frowns and suddenly it dawns on her. "Oh shit, Spence, you didn't."

"How do you do that?" Spencer says. "I didn't even say anything, it's like you read my mind."

"I know you better than you know yourself," Aria says. "So you got with Wren?"

"Yeah," Spencer groans.

"How did that happen?" Aria asks curiously. "I mean, I sensed the chemistry but he seemed to really love Melissa."

"I know," Spencer says, cringing. "Have you cried a lot since they found…you know?"

"Yeah," Aria says. "I cry all the time babe. I balled my eyes out the entire time Jason was here, I cry every time I see Ezra, I cry whenever I'm alone, whenever we get more bad news. I can't seem to stop at the moment. But it's not a bad thing, I'm grieving. So are you and you are allowed to cry. I don't think I've seen you cry much since the night we found out."

"Yeah well," Spencer says. "You three have been so upset that I've been trying to hold it together so that you have someone to lean on. But last night when I got home, I just…broke down and cried my eyes out. And Wren walked in and just held me until I stopped and then…it just happened. But Melissa walked and saw everything and they had a blazing row and we had a blazing row and then Mom came home and we rowed and it's all just really messy."

"It's not your fault, babe," Aria says. "You have just lost one of your best friends. He is an older guy who took advantage of you when you were vulnerable."

"I know, but-" Spencer breaks off with a sob as she rolls over and buries her head in Aria's shoulder.

"Can I talk to you about something else?" Aria asks nervously, and now Spencer looks up at her, equally nervous. "Did you get a text?"

"Yes," Spencer sighs. "I was hoping it was just me."

"Yeah, no," Aria says. "What did yours say?"

"Get rid of the cops or I spill your secrets," Spencer quotes. "You the same?"

Aria nods, wincing, and says, "I can't let my secrets come out, Spence, I just can't. This isn't like I'm keeping something trivial from Mom and Dad, Ezra would go to jail."

"I know," Spencer says. "And I can't have my secret come out either… _I'd_ probably go to jail."

"What did you do?" Aria asks, frowning.

"I don't know how to tell you," Spencer says awkwardly. "Nobody knows, Aria, except my parents and my sister. Literally nobody."

"Okay," Aria says. "Well you don't have to tell me if you don't-"

"No, I do," Spencer says. "I need to talk about it. I've been hiding it for so long and it's eating me alive, but it's hard…" Aria nods reassuringly and Spencer finds a new wave of courage, continuing, "So in middle school, all four of us kind of drifted? You were hanging with the boys, Hanna had a new best friend in Mona, Emily was throwing herself into every sport she could think of and I…I didn't know what to do with myself. You and Hanna were the popular ones, Emily was the sporty one and I needed an identity…so I became the smart one. Only, being the smart one was harder than I expected. There weren't enough hours in the day to do everything I needed to do. And then I made friends with Andrew, the football player?"

"I didn't know you and he were friends," Aria says.

"We're not," Spencer says. "But we were. And when I was struggling, he offered me some…study aid."

"What?" Aria says, baffled.

"Drugs," Spencer says and Aria gasps. "Adderall, specifically. I have ADHD and it was really bad when I was a kid so I used to take it. Andrew has it too so he slipped me some of his and I got hooked. Like really badly hooked. I called up the doctor's office and pretended to be my mom, I took pills from other people and then when my parents found out, they put me on lockdown and I broke into the doctor's office and stole the pills I needed. My parents knew of course, but they covered for me on the condition that I went to rehab that summer."

"Oh my God," Aria says. "Spence, you should have told me. I'm your best friend!"

"We weren't close at the time," Spencer says.

"I know, but you can always come to me," Aria says. "Team Sparia, dude, for the win!"

"I love you," Spencer says fondly.

"Yeah, I love you too," Aria says. "Now what are we going to do about these texts?"

"I don't know," Spencer says. "I can't have that come out."

"Yeah, my secrets need to stay secret," Aria says. "But I don't know how A would have found out…I mean I haven't even told you guys. I haven't even told Ezra."

"Told us what?" Spencer says. "Aria what's wrong?"

"Spence, this is bad," Aria says. "My dad's gonna kill me. _Ezra's_ gonna kill me."

"Ezra loves you," Spencer says. "Nothing could change that. Tell me what's wrong."

"I missed a period," Aria says and Spencer gasps. "I feel sick all the time. I can't stop crying. Spence, it's bad."

"You need to take a test," Spencer says. "And then you have to talk to Ezra."

"I can't," Aria says. "I don't…I don't know what I would say to him."

"Are you afraid because he'll want you to get rid of it?" Spencer asks. "Or are you afraid because you know he won't?"

"He's older," Aria says. "He talks about settling down all the time, he wants kids and I…I do too but not yet. And I don't want to have him hate me for getting rid of our child."

"He won't," Spencer says. "He won't hate you. But you really need to talk to him about this, Aria."

"Okay," Aria says. "But we need to talk to the others as well."

"Not tonight," Spencer says. "Hanna's gone for dinner at her dad's and Em's dad is cooking. Why don't we both go round to Ezra's?"

"What?" Aria says.

"Well if I'm there to go over my assignment too, your mum's not going to be suspicious, is she?" Spencer says. "Aria, I really think you need to talk to him tonight."

"Okay," Aria says. "Let me go and talk to my mom."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Ezra asks, sitting down next to Aria on the sofa. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Aria says, glancing awkwardly at Spencer.

"I've got my headphones, I'm just going to watch a movie in the bathroom," Spencer says. "Call me if you need anything, Aria, okay?"

"Yes," Aria says. "Thank you, Spence."

"Aria, you're really starting to scare me now," Ezra says. "What's happened?"

"I'm late, Ezra," Aria says. "I missed a period and I…"

"Have you taken a test?" Ezra asks.

"No, I haven't," Aria says. "I've got a 24-hour guard, Ezra, how am I supposed to pop to the chemist and get a pregnancy test?"

"So what do you want me to do?" Ezra says. "Do you want me to pick one up for you?"

"I don't know," Aria says tearfully. "I don't know what to do."

"Hey," Ezra says, pulling Aria onto his lap. "Don't cry, babe. We can deal with this."

"I would have to get rid of it," Aria says. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Ezra says sadly. "I'll support you whatever happens. You know that, right?"

"I do," Aria says. "I was just scared that you'd want…"

"That I'd want to keep it?" Ezra says. "I want you to be happy, Aria, more than anything else. I love you and I want to have a family with you but not yet."

"I love you," Aria says. "Give me a kiss." He leans in and kisses her deeply, his hands moving to the base of her top and starting to pull it over her head. "Uh," she says, pulling away and stopping him.

"I'm sorry, are you not in the mood?" he asks.

"No, I am," she laughs. "But Spencer's in the bathroom."

"Oh shit yeah," Ezra says, kissing her again. "Right, let's get her out here and she can watch a movie with us."

* * *

The next day at school, the girls sit at their usual table in the middle of the courtyard, their heads close together as they try to keep their conversation out of earshot of the cops sitting by the door. "Did you two get a text too?" Spencer asks quietly. "About spilling secrets?"

"Yes," Emily says. "I don't know about you three, but I cannot afford for my secrets to become public knowledge."

"No, us neither," Aria says. "Han?"

"Absolutely not," Hanna says. "So how do we…how do we get rid of the cops?"

"I don't know," Spencer says. "I've been thinking about it all night and I just don't know how we're going to do it."

"What do you think A means?" Aria asks. "Do you think he means the cops need to be gone for good or we just need to lose them for a couple of hours or…?"

"I don't know," Emily says, putting her head in her hands.

"I think we have to assume he wants them gone for good," Spencer says.

"Okay, so we go to our parents," Aria says. "We tell them that we're really not dealing with this very well and the police are suffocating us and we need them to go. We promise not to go anywhere alone and if they refuse, compromise by saying that they can stay nights?"

"Okay," Hanna says. "What if they still don't go for it?"

"Give it everything you've got," Aria shrugs. "We have to try if we want our secrets to stay secret."

"Which we really do," Emily says.

"Aria, are you going to swing by the drug store after school?" Spencer asks quietly.

"Yeah, but I don't know where I'm going to do it," Aria says, cringing. "If my parents catch it in the house, I don't have to worry about A anymore – they'll kill me themselves."

"Wait, what did we miss?" Hanna asks, lowering her voice so much that the girls can barely hear her. "Are you knocked up?"

"Maybe," Aria groans. "I don't know."

"Aria!" Emily says. "Oh my God! Does A know?"

"I don't know," Aria says. "But I have to assume he does and it _can't_ get out."

"So we really need to deal with this police thing," Spencer says.

"Aria, let's go and do it now," Hanna says. "We can sneak off to the drug store, do it in their toilets, nobody ever has to know. The suspense has to be killing you."

"Yeah it is," Aria says. "Will you guys come with me?"

* * *

"How long has it been?" Aria asks, drumming her hand on her leg.

"33 seconds," Spencer says.

There is a short pause and then Hanna asks, "How long has it been now?"

"43 seconds," Spencer says.

Another pause follows and then Emily opens her mouth but Spencer snaps, "I will tell you when it has been two minutes."

"Aria, are you sure you don't want me to call Ezra?" Hanna says gently.

"Nah, it'll be too suspicious," Aria says.

"Besides, it's all going to be fine," Spencer says.

"Oh yeah?" Aria sighs. "Is it just me or does that look like a plus sign?"

"Yep that's a plus," Emily says. "Aria, I'm so sorry, babe."

"I need to get back to school," Aria says, white faced and terrified. "I need to see Ezra, I need to give him this, I need to ask him to book an appointment."

"You can't do it in Rosewood," Spencer says, walking out of the restroom. "Someone will recognise you and put two and two together."

"I know but what am I supposed to do?" Aria asks. "Go to Philly?"

"Uh guys," Hanna says anxiously. "Where's the cop?"

"Where is everyone?" Emily says. "No employees, no customers…something's really wrong."

"We need to get out of here," Spencer says, grabbing Aria and Hanna and starting to run towards the exit. They barely get ten feet, however, before a hooded figure steps into their path.

"Oh crap," Aria says under her breath.

"Are you A?" Spencer says loudly.

The figure nods slowly, reaches into its pocket and pulls out a gas canister. "Oh crap," Emily says. "Cover your mouths, don't breathe that stuff in." A throws the canister onto the floor in front of them where it explodes, letting out a cloudy white gas which engulfs them all in seconds. They try to avoid it, coughing and choking but eventually it overwhelms them all and they lay, passed out in the aisle, Aria still holding onto her positive pregnancy test.


	9. Chapter 9 : Secrets and Searching

"Ezra!" Ella says, her face betraying her shock. "Is everything okay?"

"No, the girls are missing," Ezra says. "They disappeared at lunchtime and never came back to school and none of the cops have seen them and I wanted to know if they were here."

"No," Ella says. "Come in, let me call the other moms. Calm down, Ezra, I'm sure they're fine."

"I'm not," Ezra says. "I'm going to go out and look for them, will you call me if you find them?"

"Ezra, wait," Ella says. "What is going on here? I know you're a good teacher who cares about his students, but this seems like…"

"They were in my care," Ezra says firmly. "They trusted me. _You_ trusted me and I let you down. I have to know they're okay."

"Alright," Ella says. "Wait for me to call the moms and if they don't know anything, I'll come with you."

"Okay, I'm going to call Aria again," Ezra says, already dialling. Ella frowns, watching as he starts to pace frantically across the living room, before stepping into the kitchen to call the other parents.

* * *

"Oh God," Aria groans, sitting up and rubbing her head. "Where am I?" She looks around the room and immediately cringes. It is an almost empty cell with grey walls, floor and ceiling, only containing a big mat, which she is lying on, a toilet and sink, and a small table in the centre of the room. As she scrambles to her feet, the door swings open and she walks cautiously into the corridor, glancing down at herself and frowning. She is wearing her school uniform, but she has a large hole in her tights and somebody has taken her shoes, her blazer, all her jewellery and the giant safety pin she wears in her skirt.

"Spencer?" she shouts. "Hanna? Emily?" She follows the corridor round and comes to another door, which swings open as she approaches, revealing a rather dishevelled looking Hanna. Her hair is grey with dust, she has a large rip in her shirt and one of her socks has slipped down to pool around her ankle.

"Aria," Hanna gasps, rushing out of the room and hugging her tightly. "Thank God you're okay. Have you seen the others?"

"No, you're the first," Aria says. "What is this place?"

"It looks like a prison," Hanna says nervously. "Do you think this is where A kept Alison for all these years?"

"Oh God," Aria says. "Imagine being in this place, all alone at that age."

"Don't," Hanna says. "I don't want to think about it. What do we do now?"

"We need to find the others," Aria says. "Let's keep walking."

They follow the corridor along and reunite with Emily and then Spencer, both of whom look rough but otherwise unharmed. "What do we do now?" Aria asks quietly. "Is there a way out of here?"

"I don't think so," Spencer says, lowering her voice. "Have you guys noticed the cameras?" She points up to the ceiling and they all look round, scowling. "They're in our rooms too. What kind of pervert wants to watch us piss and sleep and everything?"

Just then, an angry red flashing light appears above a door at the end of the corridor. "I guess that means we need to go that way?" Emily says nervously. "Where do you think we are?"

"What happens if we don't go that way?" Spencer asks. There is a moment's silence and then, as if in response, a piercing siren sounds out loudly. All four girls clap their hands over their ears and immediately break into a run, hurrying down the corridor and into the room, where the door slams loudly behind them.

Once again the room is almost empty, except for a table in the middle. There is a name on each edge, surrounded by wires which the girls assume they should hook themselves up to. For the most part, however, they ignore it, looking at the walls, which are covered floor to ceiling in photos. Each girl has been allocated a wall and the pictures are of all their loved ones. On Hanna's wall, she has her mom and dad, Caleb, Lucas, Mona and even a couple of pictures of Sean. Spencer has photos of her parents, her sister, Wren, Toby Cavanaugh and Alex. Emily stares up at pictures of her mom, her dad, Maya and Ben, while Aria breaks down in tears as she stares at pictures of her parents, Mike, Ezra, Jason and Noel.

"Do you think they know?" Aria asks, backhanding tears from her face.

"I don't know," Spencer says honestly. "I don't know how long we've been here."

"They're going to be freaking out," Aria says. "God, Ezra. I really hope he doesn't do anything stupid."

"What do you mean?" Hanna asks, moving back over to the group.

"He's going to be panicking and I worry he'll give himself away," Aria says. "If he goes to jail, I don't know what I'll do."

"Ezra's smart," Emily says. "He'll be careful."

"And poor Jason," Aria says. "God, all of our families have already been through this once with Alison and they know how it ends. They must be going crazy."

"What do we do?" Hanna asks. "We have to get out of here."

"There is no way out," Spencer says. "I guess for now we have to play the game."

"What game?" Emily frowns, and Spencer points wordlessly to the table. In the very centre, there is a large spinner with lots of different segments. As they look closer, they see that each segment has an instruction written on it, like 'Tell a secret' or 'Pick a friend'.

"What happens if we refuse?" Hanna says, but almost before she finishes, the siren starts again and all the girls groan, rushing to sit down.

"What do you think these wires will do?" Aria asks nervously.

"At a guess?" Spencer says as she hooks herself up. "I think they're going to give us electric shocks."

"Spence?" Aria whispers, lowering her voice. "What do you think the shocks will do to the baby?"

"I don't know, Aria," Spencer says tearfully, "but I don't think it's going to survive this."

"Oh god," Aria says, looking down at her lap. The girls watch as the tears fall thick and fast and then she shakes her hair out of her face, backhands the tears off her cheeks and says, "Okay, who wants to go first?"

"I will," Emily says nervously, spinning it. "Pick a friend? Pick a friend for what?"

"I think we're about to find out," Spencer says. "Emily, pick me."

"Okay, I pick Spencer," Emily says. There is a short pause and then a loud zap and Spencer screams. "Oh my God, Spence, are you okay?"

"Yep, yep, I'm fine," Spencer says, but tears are streaming down her face and she looks terrified. "Han, you next."

"No, I'm not doing this," Hanna says. "You think I'm going to let this creep make me shock my friends?! What's he gonna do if I refuse?" Another pause and then Hanna squeals loudly. "Son of a bitch," she says.

"Aria, you go," Spencer says quickly.

Aria spins the wheel and reads aloud. "Tell a secret," she says. "I slept with Jason DiLaurentis."

"What?!" all three of the girls gasp.

"When?" Spencer says. "When he came back to town?!"

"No," Aria says. "No, I didn't cheat on Ezra. You remember I went to New York last summer?"

"Oh," Hanna says. "Wow. How was it?"

"Yeah, great," Aria says. "Moving on please."

* * *

"Have you heard anything?" Ezra says as Ella opens the door. "Is she okay?"

"We haven't heard," Byron says, sitting down on the sofa next to Mike.

"Ezra, could I have a word?" Ella says. "Come into the kitchen." Ezra nods reluctantly, follows Ella and sits down on one of the bar stools. "What is going on between you and my daughter?"

"Ella, I don't-" Ezra begins but she cuts him off furiously.

"I'm not going to tell my husband or the police or anybody else," Ella promises. "But my daughter was keeping a lot of secrets and I'd like to know one or two of them."

"Your daughter and I are very close friends," Ezra says honestly. "We are very similar, we like the same books, the same music, the same films, everything. I like spending time with her and I have been since term started. I care about her more deeply than you will ever understand, we have a profound emotional connection and my heart is breaking every second I do not know she is safe."

"And…physically?" Ella asks nervously. "Are you sleeping with my daughter?"

"No," Ezra lies firmly. "Our relationship has no physical aspect at this point. But I would like to date your daughter and as soon as I realised that, I resigned my post at the school. I will only be her teacher for a few more days."

"Okay," Ella says. "I don't like it but I appreciate you being honest with me. I'll call you if I get any news."

"Yeah, me too," Ezra says. "See you later, Ella." He walks out of the kitchen, nods to Mike and Byron who are both dialling on their phones and then steps out of the house. He walks to his car, gets inside, but instead of driving away, he pulls out the positive pregnancy test he's been holding since Aria went missing and stares at it. Then he pulls out his phone, dials a number and says, "Caleb?"

"Ezra, have they heard anything?" Caleb asks.

"No," Ezra says. "Are you and Toby having any joy?"

"No," Caleb scowls, "And neither are the police."

"Have you traced their phones?" Ezra asks. "Where they were last on?"

"Yes, but it's just the drugstore where they went missing," Caleb says. "They haven't been switched on since, if this A has any sense at all, he's trashed them."

"Well then what do we do?" Ezra says frantically. "How do we find them?"

"I don't know," Caleb says. "We just have to keep looking."

"They could be anywhere," Ezra says. "They could be in any state in any country in the entire world. They've been missing for days."

"Yes, and the whole world is looking for them," Caleb says. "Don't give up hope yet. Come round to mine, come and look through the CCTV footage with us."

"Okay," Ezra says. "I'm on my way."

* * *

"Aria are you okay?" Spencer says as Aria shudders.

"Yeah, fine," Aria lies, glancing down at her crotch. "I just…well that's a lot of blood."

"Oh Aria," Hanna says, looking down at the blood dripping onto the floor. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Yes," Aria says through gritted teeth. "But it's okay. Just keep playing please."

Just then, the screen which has lowered into the room at various intervals throughout the day comes down again and a message in bright blue writing pops up. 'Aria Montgomery, please leave the room.' Aria groans, gets to her feet and stumbles over to the door. All of them are starving, dehydrated and sleep deprived but Aria is now losing a large volume of blood and she can barely walk. She gets out of the room, and immediately passes out on the floor. Hanna, Emily and Spencer watch her collapse and run to help her, but the door slams in their faces and they all scream in frustration.

"We have been playing this game for hours," Spencer shouts. "We have done everything you've asked for without food or water or sleep but we're not going to do it anymore. Play that siren as loud and as long as you want, I don't care anymore."

She throws herself down in a corner and is soon joined by Emily. Hanna turns on the camera and snarls, "I want to speak to my mom or Caleb – they're going to go crazy if they don't hear from us." Then she sits down next to Emily, puts her head on her shoulder and promptly falls asleep.

When they wake up, Aria is back in the room, dressed now in a plain white t-shirt and black leggings but still unconscious. "Aria," Spencer says, rushing to her side. "Aria, wake up. Are you okay?"

Aria groans and tries to sit up but only gets as far as pushing up onto her elbows before she collapses again. "I lost the baby," she says tearfully. "I know it's a good thing really but I still feel…"

"We get it," Hanna says, helping Aria up. "You're allowed to be upset. We all are."

"Did you see A?" Emily whispers. "Where did he take you? A hospital?"

"No, I think it was still in this place," Aria says. "Wherever this place is. But I saw him, very briefly. I think he's a doctor or a nurse or something? He definitely has some sort of medical knowledge."

"Well that doesn't help us much," Spencer whispers. "But it doesn't matter now – we need to get out of here."

"But how?" Hanna whispers.


	10. Chapter 10

SIX WEEKS LATER

Aria stumbles out of her room as the siren starts to wail. She hurries down to the game room and finds Hanna and Spencer already seated – they look like they have been there all night and they both acknowledge her with a grunt as she joins them. Seconds later, Emily enters, takes her seat and the siren stops.

"Are you alright?" Aria asks under her breath.

"Yep," Spencer says, sounding anything but. "He's thought of a new game which is even more fun than the others."

"What?" Emily whispers.

"You'll see," Hanna says, putting her head on her arms.

Aria spins the dial and chokes as she reads the new wedge. "Choose a family member?" she says, horrified. "What does this mean?"

"We don't know," Spencer says. "But it's bringing out the worst in all of us."

"But our families aren't here?" Emily pleads. "Please tell me he doesn't have our families."

"We don't know," Hanna says. "Aria, make your choice."

"Mike," Aria says, bursting into tears. "God, we've got to get out of here."

"I know," Spencer whispers. "There's a door at the other end of the corridor that we haven't tried yet. Emily, you think you can pick the lock?"

"If it's a normal lock," Emily says, "but most of these doors are automated."

"That one isn't," Spencer whispers. "We've only got a 5-minute window – every week, the whole system shuts down for that amount of time and then the cameras will reboot."

"What happens if that door doesn't lead anywhere?" Hanna asks. "Then what do we do?"

"We try again next week," Spencer says quietly. "We're going to be okay, Han."

"I'm going to go crazy if I have to stay in this house for another week," Hanna says under her breath.

"Alison survived 8 years on her own," Aria says. "If we stick together, we can survive another week."

"I know, but I'm so scared," Hanna whispers. "I don't want to die in here like Ali."

"We're not going to die," Emily snaps. "We're going to get out of here."

"And then what?" Hanna hisses. "We don't know where we are and A does – he'll catch us and then we'll be even more screwed."

"No," Aria says. "We just need to get to the nearest town and then we'll be okay. Everybody's going to be looking for us."

* * *

"Ezra!" Ella shouts, chasing after him in the street. "Ezra are you alright?"

He turns, a tray of coffee cups in his hands, and smiles weakly. "Hello Ella," he says. "How are you?"

"Not bad all things considered," Ella says. "I wish they'd found them before Christmas – I hate the thought of them out there, alone and afraid while the rest of the world is celebrating."

"Not everybody," Ezra frowns. "I spent Christmas Day with Caleb and Toby looking over CCTV footage again – we haven't given up on the girls, Ella."

"Have you slept?" Ella asks. "You look exhausted."

"I'll sleep when Aria is home and safe," Ezra says. "Have the police said anything more?"

"Only that they're working with police in New York and New Jersey," Ella says. "They've searched the whole of Pennsylvania and they can't find them anyway so they reckon he must have taken them out of state."

"God," Ezra says. "Do you think they'll ever find them?"

"I have to believe they will," Ella says. "And so do you. Have you started at Hollis yet?"

"Yes, I started last week," Ezra says. "They've got me covering some of Byron's lectures too, just to take the load off."

"Yeah, well he's taking a leave of absence until Aria is home safe," Ella says. "If Aria comes home safe."

"I better get these coffees to Caleb and Toby," Ezra says. "Call me if you hear anything?"

"Of course," Ella says. "You too." He starts to walk away and then she remembers, "Oh, Ezra? Have you spoken to Jason in a while?"

"No," Ezra says. "I heard he was going on the searches with the police, I guess he's pretty torn up about Aria too. I'll give him a call tonight if you like?"

"Okay, let me know how you get on," Ella says, walking away.

Ezra watches her go and then heads off to Caleb's, knocking quietly on the door. "Ezra?" Caleb shouts from the living room. "Have you got my caffeine?"

"Yes," Ezra says, passing him a cup as he walks into the living room. "How's it going?"

"I've reviewed this footage 1000 times," Caleb groans. "The only car I can't trace is this one."

"Have you tracked it through other CCTV?" Ezra asks. "Can we work out where it went?"

"I'm trying but whoever this is, he's as tech savvy as I am," Caleb says. "He's cut out every single CCTV camera in the area for 24 hours."

"Does the car not have GPS?" Toby asks, walking into the room and grabbing the third cup of coffee."

"Yes, but it's password protected and firewalled and all sorts of crazy shit," Caleb says. "Whoever this is, he is not here to play."

* * *

As the clock ticks to midnight, the girls are losing strength. Aria is slumped over the table, sleeping with her head on her arms, Spencer is sitting with her back against her wall, dozing off, Hanna is flat out on the floor, snoring quietly, and Emily is sitting on her chair, drumming her hand on her table. As the system starts to power down, Emily runs around the room, shakes them all awake and they open the door, running to the end.

"Quickly, Em, quickly," Spencer says, bouncing up and down on the spot. "God, please, please, please."

Emily picks the lock in under 30 seconds and pushes the door open. "Oh my God," Aria whispers as they peer round and see a long ladder. "Where do you think it goes?"

"I don't know, but we have to climb it," Spencer says. "Hanna, you first."

Hanna scrambles up the ladder, then Aria, then Emily and finally Spencer. They climb as fast as they can and when Hannah reaches the top, she swears loudly. "Em, you better get up here," she says. "There's another door."

Aria scrambles up, and then Emily pulls herself up and unlocks the door, gasping joyfully. "Oh my god, we're out," she squeals. "Spence, come on." Spencer hurries up to the top of the ladder and glances down, screaming loudly. "What, what?" Emily gasps.

"He's coming," she shrieks. "We've got to go; we've got to go." She pushes Aria and Hanna out of the door, grabs Emily's hand and they start to run for their lives.

"Where are we, where are we?" Aria says frantically. "Which way do we run?"

"Any way," Hanna says. "Head towards lights."

"He's going to catch us," Emily says, running as she sobs. "God, we're going to die and he's going to bury us like Ali."

"No, he's not," Spencer says tearfully. "We're all going to be fine."

"God, where the hell are we?" Aria sobs. "Can anyone see city lights?"

"That way!" Spencer squeals. "Come on, come on, come on." They speed up, not daring to glance over their shoulders to see if A is gaining on them. Eventually, they break through the treeline, all panting and breathless.

"Where the hell are we?" Spencer asks, looking round for any familiar landmarks.

"I don't care, stop that cab," Aria says, running out into the middle of the road in front of a taxi.

"Where are we going?" the cab driver asks and they all exchange panicked looks.

"Sorry, sir, but where are we?" Hanna says, and now the driver frowns.

"Harrisburg," he says. "Girls, are you okay?"

"Will you take us to Rosewood?" Aria pleads. "We'll pay you whatever you want when we get there, just drive us as fast as you can to the Rosewood police station."

"And can we use a phone?" Spencer begs.

"Sure thing," the driver says, passing them his mobile and starting to drive.

"Who wants to go first?" Spencer asks, waving the phone around.

"Please, me," Aria begs. "I have to speak to Ezra."

"Go," Hanna nods, leaning back in her seat and starting to cry.

Aria dials quickly and then listen to him answer. "Hello?" he says.

"Ezra," she says, bursting into tears. "Oh my God, it's so good to hear your voice."

"Aria!" he shouts and she hears a chair fall over in the background. "Oh my God, Aria, where are you? Babe, I love you, I love you so much. Are you out, are you safe?"

"Yes, we're out," Aria says, sobbing. "We're in Harrisburg, we're coming home. Have you spoken to my parents?"

"Yeah, I'll call them as soon as we're done," Ezra says. "Babe, how's the baby?"

"The baby's gone, Ezra," Aria says. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, it's okay," Ezra says. "It's not your fault, I'm just glad you're safe. Listen, I'm with Caleb and Toby, are Hanna and Spencer there?"

"Yes, yes they are," Aria says. "Put Caleb on the phone, Hanna will speak to him."

"Okay, I will," Ezra says. "Aria, babe, I love you so much. Hurry home to me won't you?"

"I'm coming as fast as I can, babe," Aria says, sobbing. "I love you." She turns to Hanna and says, "Caleb wants to speak to you."

Hanna grabs the phone and shouts, "Caleb?"

"Hanna!" Caleb gasps. "Oh my God, Hanna, it's really you! Thank God you're alive!"

"Barely," Hanna says tearfully. "Will you call my mom and tell her I'm coming home?"

"Of course," Caleb says. "Are you alright?"

"No," Hanna says. "I miss you so much."

"Me too," Caleb says, breaking down. "Hanna, I love you. Please hurry."

"I'm coming, baby," Hanna says. "Is Toby there?"

"Yeah," Caleb says. "I'll put him on for Spencer. I love you, Han."

"I love you too," Hanna says and then hands the phone to Spencer wordlessly.

Spencer claps the phone to her ear and says, "Toby? Is that you?"

"It's me, Spence," Toby says. "You doing okay?"

"Better now I'm hearing your voice," Spencer says. "God, what day is it? How long have we been gone?"

"Almost two months' babe," Toby says. "It's the 12th of January."

"We missed Christmas?" Spencer says, surprised. "And New Year's?"

"Yeah, you did," Toby says. "Are you alright?"

"No," Spencer says tearfully. "God, will you call my parents for me?"

"Of course I will," Toby says. "Spencer, I've missed you."

"I missed you too," Spencer says. "We'll be home soon."

"I'm never letting you out of my sight again," Toby laughs. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

"Okay," Spencer says tearfully. She hangs up the phone and hands it to Emily, who stares at it blankly before dialling her dad's number.

"Daddy?" she says tearfully and she hears the man at the other end of the line burst into tears.

"Oh my God, Emmy," he says. "You're alive."

"Yeah I am," she sobs. "Dad, I'm out. I'm coming home."

"Oh my God," he says. "Thank God. Where are you?"

"On our way home from Harrisburg," Emily says. "Is Mom there?"

"No, she's down at the police station with the other moms," Wayne replies. "I'll call her right now, they can tell the police."

"Tell her to wait there," Emily says. "We're going to go straight there, okay?"

"Alright, darling," Wayne says. "I'll see you very soon, okay?"

"Yes," Emily says. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby," he says. She hangs up the phone and bursts into a fresh wave of tears, putting her head on Spencer's lap.

"Are you okay?" the cab driver asks Spencer, who currently seems to be the most composed of the four.

"Yes, we're fine," Spencer says.

"I know you," he says seriously. "From your missing posters? They're up all around town."

"Really?" Spencer says. "It's been a while – we didn't think anyone was still looking."

"Your families have been on the news almost every day," he explains. "They've hauled everybody in for questioning. Your boyfriends, your teachers. God this one guy, Fitz something, he was in and out almost every day near the beginning."

"Ezra?" Aria gasps, sitting up and brushing the tears off her face. "Did they charge him?"

"No," the cabbie says. "No, they ended up charging some other guy from your school?"

"Who?" Hanna asks, struggling to sit up.

"Luke?" the cabbie says, trying to remember. "Does that ring a bell?"

"Oh my God, Lucas?" Hanna gasps. "They wouldn't. He could never do this to us."

"Well he wouldn't – or perhaps couldn't – tell the cops where he was keeping you," the cabbie continues. "So they let him out on bail – he's under house arrest now apparently."

"Shit," Emily says. "Poor guy."

"How long do you think this journey will take?" Spencer asks.

"Maybe an hour more?" the cab driver says. "Why don't you settle down and take a nap?"

"I'm not tired," Aria says. "Can we stop at a McDonald's or something? I'm absolutely starved."

"Sure," the cabbie says.

"Ah shit, I don't have any money," Aria says. "Never mind."

"Don't worry, girls," he says. "I've got this."

An hour and a half later, all of the girls' friends and families have gathered outside Rosewood police station. Ezra and Caleb are pacing back and forth across the sidewalk, while Aria's family and Hanna's mom are sitting on the steps. Toby is sitting with Spencer's parents on a nearby bench and Emily's mom and dad are on another. Jason DiLaurentis is sitting on the ground, staring up at the stars, with Noel Kahn and Maya, and there are no less than 20 police officers gathered around in little groups.

"There they are," Ezra shouts as a cab pulls into the road. The car pulls up on the edge of the road and Spencer stumbles out first, throwing herself into Toby's arms. Emily trips out next, squeezes Maya's arm as she passes and then hugs her parents tightly. Hanna comes out crying and throws herself at Caleb, kissing him hungrily and then hugs her mother. Finally, Aria falls out and says, "Someone needs to pay the cabbie," before throwing herself into Ezra's arms and bursting into tears. He lifts her clean off the ground, clinging to her desperately, refusing to let even her parents get to her for a long time.

It takes half an hour before any of the parents let go of their children and even then Aria and Ezra and Hanna and Caleb refuse to let go of each other. "Ladies, we'd like to interview you about your experience," one of the police officers says. "Anything you can tell us about your captor may help lead to his arrest."

"Are you insane?" Caleb snaps. "They're exhausted – let them rest."

"I'll do it now," Aria says. "I want this over and done with. But I want Ezra to come in with me."

"I'm there," Ezra says. "Whatever you need."

"Sweetheart, this might be too much for now," Byron says.

"No, Aria's right," Spencer says. "I'm ready to be done with this. Let's get started."

Ten minutes later, they are all in one interview room, with Ezra, Caleb, Toby and Maya sitting with them. "Tell us everything you know," the detective says.

"We woke up in rooms," Aria says uncertainly. "They looked like prison cells, I guess, but they had cameras in the corners."

"All the doors were automated," Spencer says. "We were underground so there were no windows."

"We spent most of our time in a room we called the game room," Hanna says. "It was almost empty apart from pictures and a table."

"The walls were covered in pictures," Emily says. "Of our friends and families. Reminding us of everything we'd lost, I guess."

"And the table?" the detective asked.

"We each had a chair," Spencer says. "Wires and all sorts hooked up to it. And there was a spinner in the middle, with instructions in each wedge."

"He made us play games," Hanna says. "Share a secret, tell a truth, pick your favourite friend. And whoever we picked got an electric shock. A bad one."

"Then it was 'rank your friends'," Emily says. "That was when the degrees of the shocks started to change based on who we wanted to 'punish'. And then he started making us rank our families and…"

"We weren't given much food or water," Spencer says. "Every time we fell asleep, there were these blaring sirens."

"Every time we refused to play, a shock or a siren," Hanna says.

"Um, I should say," Aria says. "I don't want this becoming public knowledge. I don't even want my parents to know, but um…I was pregnant when he took us. I had a miscarriage while I was there, I think it was the stress or the shocks, I don't know, but it didn't…I don't know. It's over now, but I thought you should know."

"Oh Aria," the detective says. "I'm very sorry."

"Yeah, well," Aria says, looking at her lap. "That was the only time I saw A. He was a man, definitely. He seemed to have some sort of medical knowledge because he took care of me when I was losing a lot of blood."

"I think he's young," Spencer says. "He seemed to be fast when he was chasing us when we escaped."

"Okay," the detective says. "Now you came out in where? Harrisburg?"

"Yeah, but we ran for about 15 minutes before we reached the city?" Hanna says, checking with Emily and Spencer.

"It could have been 15 minutes," Spencer says. "It could have been 5 hours. Honestly, running is my least favourite thing to do, I was dying when we got into that cab."

Everybody smiles weakly and Toby squeezes Spencer's shoulders gently.

"Anything else?" Ezra asks. "These girls really need some rest."

"No, I think that's everything for now," the detective says. "You girls go home and don't leave the house until we call, okay? We're gonna put police cars outside your houses, alright?"

"Okay," Aria says, getting to her feet unsteadily. "Ezra, will you come home with me?"

"Of course," Ezra says. "Girls, you wanna stay together or go home?"

"No offence," Hanna says. "But I'm quite looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again."

"Yeah, me too," Spencer laughs bitterly. "We'll all meet tomorrow though? Or the next day?"

"Yeah of course," Aria says. "What time is it?"

"3am," Toby says. "We really should go home."

They all head out of the police station and the girls hug each other tightly. "I couldn't have…I don't think I would have survived without you guys," Aria says tearfully. "I love you."

"Same," they all say in unison and then they just stare at each other.

"God," Spencer says, laughing through her tears. "Who would have thought it would be this hard?"

"Promise me none of y'all will get kidnapped while I'm sleeping, yeah?" Emily says, backhanding tears from her face.

"Promise," Aria says, sobbing. "God, I can't believe we're alive."

"Me neither," Hanna laughs. "But I'm just so tired I can't believe anything."

"Alright," Ezra says, stepping up. "Come on, Aria, let's go." He guides her away, not taking his arm away from her shoulder for a second. He climbs into her parents' car beside her and the three watch them drive away.

"Your turn, Miss Hanna," Ashley says. "You can see the girls tomorrow, okay?"

"Caleb, you coming?" Hanna asks, and he nods, stepping forward and helping her to the car.

"Spence?" Melissa says. "Will you come home please?"

"Of course," Spencer says, hugging her sister and walking with her to their car.

Emily watches the two girls leave and then hurries towards her parents' car, climbing into the backseat and promptly falling asleep.

* * *

"We're home," Ezra says, shaking a dozy Aria. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

"Will you stay with me?" Aria says. "You're not going to leave me, are you?"

"Never," he says, glancing at Ella awkwardly. She glances between the pair of them before nodding and in one quick movement, Ezra lifts Aria completely off the ground and carries her up to her room. She clambers into her bed without even taking her shoes off and pulls him down beside her. He lays down cautiously on top of the covers and allows her to curl into him where she immediately falls asleep.

For about ten minutes, there is complete silence and then Aria's door creaks open and Mike creeps in, sitting on the bed by her feet and leaning his head back against the wall. A few minutes later, Ella walks into the room and sits on the floor by Aria's bed and a few minutes later, Byron joins them all.

"I don't think I'll ever sleep again," he says quietly and Ezra nods in agreement.

"Not until they catch that maniac," Ella says. "How the hell did he pull this off?"

"He's a psychopath," Ezra says. "A psycho and a genius. A seriously dangerous combination."


	11. Chapter 11

When Aria wakes up, she is snuggled in between Ezra and Mike and she is dangerously close to overheating. She disentangles herself, careful not to wake them, changes into a pair of tartan pyjama bottoms and a white vest and pads downstairs to the kitchen.

"Hey," Ella says. "You hungry, darling?"

"Starving," Aria says. "Where's Dad?"

"He's gone to check how the other girls are doing," Ella replies. "He thought you might like an update when you woke up."

"What time is it?" Aria asks. "How long have I been asleep?"

"You slept for 36 hours," Ella says. "We called the doctor but she said it was perfectly normal given the sleep deprivation. What do you want to eat?"

"Pizza," Aria says. "Pancakes. Everything. I'm so hungry."

"Okay, I'll make you pancakes," Ella laughs. "You order pizza."

"Shall I wake Ezra?" Aria asks. "Or Mike? See if they want food?"

"No, don't," Ella says. "Ezra didn't sleep for days after you went missing, he didn't sleep at all the first night. He hasn't let go of you since you got back. Do you want to tell me what's going on there?"

"What did he say?" Aria asks. "He must have told you something or else you wouldn't have let him stay with me."

"He told me that you are very close," Ella says. "That he is very fond of you, that his heart was breaking every second you were away…to all intents and purposes, Aria, he said that he was, and apparently still is, in love with you."

"And what do you think about that?" Aria asks, leaning on the counter and watching her.

"I want to know how you feel about him," Ella says. "And how much of this happened when he was your teacher."

"I love him, Mom," Aria says. "I met him before school started and we really hit it off and we've been close ever since. There's nothing physical about it yet, but now he's not my teacher I hope that it can go that way."

"Aria, he's so much older," Ella says, her face betraying her concern.

"I don't care," Aria says honestly. "Mom, you know what I was like in junior year – I got with so many boys it was ridiculous, I was a total slut. Ezra has changed me – I haven't got with anyone all year. I'm not interested in that any more, I just want to be with him. He loves me, Mom."

"Yes," Ella says. "He does." There is a long pause as she plates up the pancakes and puts them in front of Aria, and then she says, "Your father will go mad, you know."

"I was sort of banking on him being so happy I'm home that anything else is okay," Aria laughs weakly.

"Honey, do you want to talk about it?" Ella asks. "About what happened in that place?"

"No," Aria says. "I don't know if I'm ever going to want to talk about it. I just…there's something worrying me."

"What is it, sweetheart?" Ella asks. "Can I help?"

"When we were in there," Aria begins nervously. "In that place…he made us do things to each other. And when he got bored, he made us choose a family member instead and I don't know what for."

"Who did you choose?" Ella asks.

"I chose Mike – usually he hurt the people we didn't choose and he's…" Aria trails off and Ella nods tearfully.

"I understand, baby," Ella says. "You've been so brave, but I don't think you need to worry anymore. Whoever did this to use was watching you 24 hours a day – he didn't have access to any of us. It was probably just to torture you more, you know?"

"Yeah," Aria says tearfully. "God, I don't know, Mom, I just want to move on from it, I want to get back to school and go back to normal. Have they released Lucas yet?"

"Yes," Ella says. "The poor boy really suffered, but they've dropped the charges and he's moving out of state."

"God," Aria says, but before she can go any further, there is a big bang from upstairs and Ezra starts to shout her name.

"Aria!" he yells. "Aria, where are you?!"

Aria walks out into the hall and looks up to the top of the stairs where Ezra is standing with a panicked expression on his face. "I'm here," she says lightly. "Calm down."

"Oh my God," he says, hurrying down the stairs and pulling her close to him. "I thought you were gone again."

"I know," Aria says. "But I'm not, I'm right here, it's all okay."

"Are you feeling alright?" he asks, cupping her face. "Do you need anything? What can I do?"

"Just don't let go of me," she says, hugging him tightly.

"Okay," he says, lifting her clean off the ground and carrying her into the living room.

* * *

"Ow," Hanna says as she rolls over and whacks her hand on her bedside table. She hears a faint laughing sound from beside her and rolls back over to look up at Caleb.

"Hi, beautiful," he says, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Still pretty tired," she says. "But also starving. Can we order food?"

"Sure," Caleb says. "I'll go downstairs and get a takeaway menu."

"Let me come," Hanna says, climbing out of bed. "I need to move around a bit."

"Okay," Caleb says, helping her change into a pair of black leggings and a baggy t-shirt. "Hey, isn't this mine?"

"Yeah, I stole it," Hanna says, grinning. "Come on, you must be pretty hungry too."

"I am," Caleb says. "Your mom has been bringing me food though."

"Oh, my mom," Hanna says, beaming. "Mom! Mom, where are you?"

"Hanna!" she shouts. "Han, you okay, babe?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Hanna says, throwing herself into Ashley's arms. "I love you."

"I love you too," Ashley says tearfully. "It's good to see you up and about."

"How long did I sleep for?" Hanna asks.

"36 hours or so," Caleb shrugs. "Aria's dad popped round earlier and said that Aria was still out cold too, so it wasn't just you. All of you were sleep-deprived."

"Mom, can we order Chinese?" Hanna asks.

"Sure," Ashley says. "If you two think you'll be okay for 20 minutes, I'll go pick up some food?"

"We'll be fine, Mrs Marin," Caleb says. "We'll just watch a movie or something, right Han?"

"Right," Hanna says, walking through to the living room. She listens to her mom and Caleb whisper about her in the hall and then Caleb comes in and joins her on the couch. "What happened while I was away?"

"Han, we don't have to talk about that now," Caleb says, but Hanna scowls at him.

"I want to," she says. "I want to know what I missed."

"Well the police questioned everyone," Caleb says. "All your parents, poor Jason DiLaurentis was in and out every other day, me. And then they hacked into all of your voicemails and heard the messages that Ezra had left Aria and they pounced."

"Why would he leave her voicemail messages if he'd kidnapped her?" Hanna says scathingly.

"Well, their theory was that he wanted to divert suspicion," Caleb frowns. "They questioned him for days, eventually Spencer's mom intervened, but it wasn't until he told them that nobody apart from the four of you knew about his feelings for her that they let him go."

"Is he okay?" Hanna asks. "You were with him when we got out, right?"

"Yeah, the two of us spent quite a lot of time together," Caleb says. "With Toby and sometimes Maya. We weren't family so the police wouldn't tell us anything, so I ended up hacking into their CCTV to find out what they knew. Him and Aria, huh? That's…controversial. How long has it been going on?"

"A while," Hanna says, shifting in her seat. "Did he not talk to you about it?"

"No," Caleb says. "He wouldn't say anything. But I noticed things, you know. He spent a lot of time staring at a positive pregnancy test and when Aria called, he asked about the baby, so I knew she was pregnant before she said so in the interview room. He loves her more deeply than anything I've ever seen – it's like something from a book or a movie."

"I know," Hanna says. "So what happened with Lucas?"

"Oh god, who knows?" Caleb says. "I listened to the whole interview and I couldn't understand one minute of the reasons behind his arrest."

"Poor guy," Hanna says. "God, this whole thing just sucks."

"What happened down there?" Caleb asks. "How did you survive?"

"I don't know," Hanna says. "We had each other, I guess. We all needed to be strong for each other. Everybody had bad days, you know? Aria lost a baby, for crying out loud, we couldn't all crumble when she was so broken…and then we slept in shifts so that A was never bored so everybody had to be strong at some time or another."

"You don't have to be strong anymore," Caleb says, pulling her closer to him. "I'll be strong for the both of us."

Hanna blinks at him for a moment or two before she visibly crumbles. She sobs, "Oh my God," and collapses on his chest, crying her eyes out.

* * *

"Morning," Spencer says, tripping down the stairs.

"More like afternoon," Melissa says with a smile. "You want some food?"

"Yes please," Spencer says. "Where's Mom and Dad?"

"Mom went down to the police station to see if they were any closer to locating the bunker," Melissa says. "Dad went to see the grandparents to let them know you're home safe."

"How are you doing?" Spencer asks.

"I should be asking you that," Melissa laughs tearfully. "I'm just…really glad you're home. I felt so bad that we were arguing about a guy, you know? If that had the last conversation we'd ever had, I don't think I ever would have forgiven myself."

"I know," Spencer says. "That's what I kept thinking about too. But I'm back now and I'm okay. We're okay."

"It was all pretty intense last night, huh?" Melissa says. "I did not think you and Toby were that close."

"Yeah well, Mom and Dad don't exactly love him," Spencer says, "so we kept it pretty quiet. I really like him though."

"He adores you," Melissa says frankly. "Honestly, he was here every single day begging for updates, he spent hours upon hours searching, he was devastated. And I think Mom and Dad saw that and they started to grow rather fond of him. Actually, all the parents started to like the boyfriends to be honest. Even Aria's father was softening a little, although I think that may take a little longer. It's pretty controversial."

"I know," Spencer says. "He looked overjoyed to see her back though."

"Oh God, definitely," Melissa says. "Out of all the boys, he was the most torn up, honestly. He loves her so much it's ridiculous. But actually, Caleb really adores Hanna too. None of you have gone for the predictable choice this time, huh?"

"Well Hanna and Aria went for the predictable," Spencer says. "In Sean and Noel, and it turned out they were more interested in each other than the girls. Em's not even interested in guys anymore and after everything that happened with Alison and now all of this…I guess we're not interested in being predictable any more. We're interested in being happy."

"I think that's a good thing," Melissa says. "You're only going to be in high school for a few more months, you know? If you're not the most popular girls in school for those few months, what does it really matter?"

"Yeah," Spencer says. Just then, there is a quiet knock at the door and both girls turn to see Toby standing outside. Spencer waves him in, hurrying forward and throwing herself into his arms.

"Hey," he says gently. "You okay, Spence?"

"Yeah," she says. "I'm getting there. How are you?"

"Fine," he says, pulling away and cupping her face in his hands. "It's really good to see you."

"You too," she says, beaming as she stares up at him. "I missed you so much."

"Same," Toby says quietly. "I'm so glad you're back and you're okay. I don't know what I'd do if you never came home."

"Don't think about it," Spencer says. "I was going to order food, do you want to stay and watch a movie or something?"

"Sure," Toby says. "What do you want?"

"Chinese?" Spencer suggests, looking for a menu in the drawers.

"Sounds good," Toby says, pulling her away from the drawer and crushing her into his chest. "I really care about you, Spencer. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."

"Don't be sorry," Spencer says. "It's not your fault. I care about you too, Toby, so just don't let go of me for a little while, okay?"

"Okay," he says, kissing the top of her head and holding her even tighter.

* * *

Emily wakes up screaming. Her mom rushes into the room and shakes her awake, terrified and sobbing. "Oh my God," Emily says, collapsing on her mother's chest and bursting into a fresh wave of tears.

"Shh, it's okay," Pam says reassuringly. "It's alright, you're home, you're safe."

"Oh my God," she repeats, crying for an hour before she finally calms down.

"Okay?" Pam says. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Emily says. "I'm sorry."

"You never have to apologise to me," Pam insists. "You have gone through a horrible, traumatic experience and it's okay that you're not alright. Are you ready to get dressed and come downstairs for some food?"

"Yes, okay," Emily says. "Where's Dad?"

"He went down to the police station with Veronica Hastings and Byron Montgomery," Pam explains. "They're trying to find out how it's going in the search for the bunker and for the guy who…you know."

"Okay," Emily says. "Have you heard how the others are doing?"

"Aria was still asleep when her dad left," Pam says. "Apparently her brother and Ezra stayed with her the entire time. Veronica said that Spencer is still sleeping too and Toby had been checking in on her periodically. None of us have heard from Ashley in a few hours but she said that Caleb was staying with them and watching over Hanna."

"I might go over and see Aria," Emily says. "I need to get out of the house – I've had enough of being trapped to last me a lifetime."

"Okay," Pam says. "I'll drive you over there after you eat something; you must be starving."

"Yeah, I am," Emily says, "Can I have mac and cheese?"

"Mac and cheese?" Pam laughs, surprised. "Of course you can."

"Mom, did Maya call?" Emily asks.

"Maya?" Pam frowns. "Yes, a few times. I told her you'd message her when you woke up."

"What did you think of her?" Emily asks.

"She's a lovely girl," Pam says. "She obviously cares a lot about you. I just don't really…"

"It's okay," Emily says. "We don't have to talk about this now. I'm going to change, eat and then head over to Aria's."

"Alright, darling," Pam says. "You want bacon in your mac and cheese?"

* * *

"Hey Dad," Aria says as Byron walks through the front door. She is lying on the couch in Ezra's arms, clinging onto him tightly, dressed in his grey hoody and a pair of tartan pyjama bottoms. They are sharing a large pizza and watching 'Grease' on the TV, and both of their phones are face up on the table, occasionally buzzing.

"Hi, baby," he says, bending down and kissing her forehead. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," she says wearily. "I'm still pretty tired so I'm probably going to go back to bed in a bit."

"Alright, honey," he says. "Ezra, will you…will you be staying tonight too?"

"I want him to stay with me, Dad," Aria says quietly.

"Okay, darling," Byron says. "Can I get either of you a drink? You need some more water?"

"No, I'm good," Aria says, snuggling down into Ezra's arms. He responds by pulling her even closer to him and then he glances reluctantly at Byron, who simply nods with a look that says 'We'll discuss this later'.

Byron walks into the kitchen where Ella and Mike are sitting at the table, eating in silence. "You two alright?" he asks, clapping Mike on the shoulder.

"Yeah, fine," Mike says quietly.

"How was the station?" Ella murmurs. "I've got dinner waiting for you."

"Thank you," Byron says. "Yes it was fine thank you – they don't seem to have any new leads but they said they'd drop by sometime tomorrow. What time did she wake up?"

"About 3ish?" Ella says, frowning. "I made her some pancakes and we spoke for a little bit and then Ezra woke up, saw she was gone and freaked out. They haven't let go of each other since."

"They're just watching movies," Mike says quietly. "I don't think they've even said two words to each other since they sat down."

"Mike's right," Ella says. "They just seem to need to be with each other."

"Did she talk to you about him?" Byron asks. "At all?"

"Briefly," Ella replies. "Just enough to tell me that there is not currently any physical aspect to their relationship, but that she loves him very much."

"He must have taken advantage of her somehow," Byron says. "He was her teacher, Ella; how did this happen?"

"I don't know," Ella says. "But they haven't done anything illegal and right now, she needs him more than any of us. So I will not try and tear them apart."

"And you like him sleeping in her bed, do you?" Byron hisses furiously.

"Of course not," Ella says. "But Mike was there, it's not like he was going to try anything."

"He didn't even suggest it, Dad," Mike says. "He just lay there and watched the door and the window and made sure she was safe. He just loves her."

"Mike's not going to be there every night," Byron says sharply. "You really think he's not gonna make a move?"

"I really don't," Ella says frankly. "I think if anyone's going to make a move, it'll be Aria. He's not gonna push her before she's ready; he just wants her to be okay."

"I'm going to check on them," Byron says, popping his head back into the living room. They have switched positions now so that Ezra is sitting upright with Aria on his lap and facing him. Her head is buried in his shoulder and Byron can hear her sobbing, but he doesn't move, watching as Ezra strokes her hair and whispers comforting words to her. He is about to say something when the doorbell rings and Aria jumps up, brushing away her tears frantically and hurrying to the door.

"Em!" she says, surprise clear on her face. "Hey! How are you?"

"Not too bad," Emily says, stumbling into the house and throwing her arms around Aria. "You?"

"Yeah fine," Aria says, releasing her after a few moments. "Ezra and I were just watching a movie."

"Oh hey Ezra," Emily says, leaning down and hugging him tightly.

"Hey you," he says, letting her go and grabbing Aria, pulling her onto his lap. "How are you doing, Emily?"

"I'm okay," Emily replies. "I slept for like a while and then I had something to eat and then I just had to get out of the house. I was feeling trapped."

"I get it," Aria agrees, rubbing Emily's shoulder. "Did you speak to your parents about what happened?"

"No," Emily says. "I haven't really spoken to anyone about it. I just want to forget it and move on with my life."

"Yeah, I get it," Aria says gently. "Have you thought about school?"

"A little," Emily says. "I just want to get back into life really – I was thinking about going back on Monday."

"I'll come with you if you do decide to go," Aria says. "I just don't want to walk back in there for the first time all by myself, you know?"

"Me either," Emily says. "But if you'll come with me, we can do it together."

"Sure," Aria says.

"Are you sure, girls?" Ezra says. "It's not been very long since you got home. Nobody would judge you if you wanted to take another week."

"But we don't," Aria says quietly. "The last thing we need is to think about what happened. And we haven't got long left before we graduate and I'm definitely still short some credits."

"I'm sure the school would-" Ezra says, but Aria cuts him off.

"I'm sure they would too, but I don't want them to," Aria insists. "The last thing I need is to not graduate high school properly because of A. Please, Ezra, just support me on this."

"Of course," Ezra says, surprise clear on his face. "Aria, I'll support you on anything, you know that. I just want you to be sure."

"I am," she says, leaning up and kissing him tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you too," he says, brushing her hair out of her face.

"You guys are gross," Emily says.

"Still haven't seen Maya then?" Aria says sympathetically.

"Nah," Emily says. "I want to go round but my mom doesn't…"

"Why don't we take you there now?" Ezra suggests. "We can leave you there for an hour, get Aria out into the fresh air and then take you home?"

"Would you?" Emily says, glancing at Aria who smiles reassuringly.

"Of course," Aria says. "I'll need to change; can you give me 10 minutes?"

"Sure," Emily says. "I'll come up with you?"

"Please," Aria says.

"Alright, Aria, I'm going to talk to your parents," Ezra says.

Aria bends down, kisses him on the cheek, and then hurries upstairs with Emily hot on her heels. Ezra pushes up from the sofa and walks into the kitchen.

"I'm going to take the girls out," he says quietly. "To the park or something. They need the fresh air, Aria's getting a bit claustrophobic."

"Alright," Ella says. "Do you want us to come?"

"No, I think if she had it her way, even I wouldn't be going," Ezra says. "She wants her independence back, she's had enough of feeling trapped."

"So why are you going?" Byron snaps.

"Because I'm not going to let her out of my sight for a very long time," Ezra says. "I lost her once, I'm not going to let that happen again."

"She's not yours, Ezra," Byron snarls. "She is a child."

"She isn't," Ezra says. "She's gone through hell, one thing she isn't is a child. I know you may not like it and I understand you not liking how I feel about her, but we have one thing in common. We just want her to be happy and while she wants me here, I will stay."

"And that's fine," Ella says. "Because you love her and that's what we want for our daughter. Right, Byron?"

Byron scowls at Ella and then looks over Ezra's shoulder, where Aria and Emily are hovering. "Yes, that's what we want. Don't be too late please."

"Of course not," Ezra says, and then he ducks out of the room. Aria kisses her father and her mother goodbye, hugs Mike tightly and then walks into the living room, where Ezra and Emily are waiting. Ezra eyes her up and down, grinning, and she turns on the spot, beaming. She has changed into a pair of black skinny jeans, a plain maroon jumper and matching beanie, long grey socks and knee high black boots, with a fashionable black coat over the top. "You look great," he says. "Like yourself."

"I feel like myself," she says, slipping under his arm and leading him towards the front door. "Come on, Em, let's get going."

The three of them climb in the car and drive straight to Maya's house. "We'll be back in an hour?" Aria says. "Or maybe 2?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Emily says. "Thank you so much, Ezra."

"Of course," Ezra says, waving goodbye. "Where to, Miss Aria?"

"Somewhere quiet," Aria suggests. "Take us up to the vantage point?"

"Good idea," he says, taking one hand off the wheel and reaching out to squeeze her hand. "It was very kind of you to help Emily see Maya."

"It sucks for her," Aria says. "Me and Hanna and Spence can see you guys anytime we want, but her mom just… Emily hasn't had that conversation with her yet and now is just not really the time."

"I understand," Ezra says. "But your parents love you all and I don't think anything would cause them to push you away again."

"I know," Aria says. "I mean, I think there's one thing that would."

"You're talking about the baby?" Ezra asks. "I don't think it would cause them to disown you. Your dad would probably murder me, but I think you'd be okay."

"Maybe," Aria says. "We should talk about it, Ezra. We should talk about everything. You haven't talked about it."

"Talked about what?" Ezra says. "You're the one who-"

"I know I am," Aria says. "But you went through hell too."

"Nothing like what you experienced," he says, gritting his teeth as he turns into the parking lot at the vantage point. It is almost completely empty and he pulls into one of the spaces right at the edge.

"We should talk about it," Aria repeats. "We can fill in each other's gaps?"

"Okay," Ezra says quietly. "Do you want me to start?"

"Yes please," she says, turning in her seat to face up and pulling her knees up to her chest.

"So I saw you the day before," he murmurs, "You thought you were pregnant and we watched a movie with Spencer. And then I saw you in homeroom and then I got back to my classroom after lunch and there was a pregnancy test on my desk. A positive one."

"That must have been mine," Aria says. "A must have taken it after he knocked us out."

"When did you take it?" Ezra asks.

"I left at lunchtime with the girls," Aria explains. "We went to the drug store and did it in the toilet. I was going to call you. God, I wish I'd called you. If I had, none of this would have happened. Anyway, we came out, I was coming straight to see you, but before we could get out, he threw a…canister, I guess? And there was all this gas and then…"

"And then you were gone," Ezra says. "I thought you'd just left the test and gone and I was upset, I thought you couldn't bear to talk to me. And then you didn't come to class. None of you. I went straight to the principal."

"What happened then?" Aria asks, reaching across and taking his hand.

"The police were there already," Ezra says. "So I went to yours and your mom called round all the others and none of them had seen you so I went out looking with the police. A few days they arrested me as their lead suspect and after that I lost faith. I got out a couple of days after and that's when I started working with Caleb. He set up his base in my apartment and we just…we were there every day, just trying desperately to find anything that would help us find you. The days blurred into one really…I remember Christmas vaguely because Caleb cried, I remember New Year's Eve and then…nothing really. We did everything we could think of and nothing was working and then the phone rang."

"I called you?" Aria says.

"Yeah," Ezra says. "I cried, Caleb fell off his chair, Toby dropped a plate, it was…it was the happiest I've ever been."

"Me too," Aria says. "Hearing your voice after all that time…if I didn't know that I loved you before, I mean, I was absolutely certain of it then."

"Me too," Ezra says. "I am so in love with you, Aria."

"Me too," Aria says, backhanding the tears that are starting to fall.

"Come here," Ezra says, not bothering to wipe away his tears. He pulls her onto his lap and kisses her deeply. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you again, Aria, I promise."

"I know," she says tearfully, kissing him again. "I feel safe with you. It's just…hard."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Ezra asks, pulling her close to him so her head is resting on his chest.

"I don't know how," she admits. "You heard most of it in the police station, it was just…the four of us were the best of friends, we always have been, and suddenly we were being forced to hurt each other. And it wasn't just 'choose a friend', sometimes it was 'hurt everybody or you don't get food' or 'hurt somebody or you won't be allowed to sleep tonight' and it was hard. Because they understood and when you haven't eaten in 4 days and you're being shocked constantly and you're dehydrated because it's so hot and you can't sleep because every time you drift off, there's an impossibly loud siren, you don't have a choice but to hurt your friends but you can't go through all of that and not become bitter."

She pauses, burying her face in his neck for a moment, and then pulls away so she can look him in the eye. "I lost the baby within the first 24 hours of us playing the game," she explains quietly. "I was shocked three or four times and the fifth time, I glanced down and there was blood spreading down my legs and onto the floor and everything…he called me out of the room and before I could see or do anything, I collapsed."

Both she and Ezra are crying now, mourning their loss, but she doesn't stop, continuing, "He took me out of the room for a few hours and gave me drugs and then he gave me new clothes and put me back in the room and that was that. Except that I was pretty weak for the next few days and the girls wanted to look after me and avoid shocking me if they could, but as the days wore on and they started to get more tired and hungrier, I felt like they started to resent me. And I told them they could shock me, and he started refusing to feed them if they didn't shock me, and eventually they did, but just for those few days, they really took care of me, at a deep personal cost and I…I owe them so much."

"They'll understand," Ezra says, stroking her hair reassuringly.

"Are you angry?" she asks. "That I lost the baby?"

"Are you?" he asks quietly.

"Yes," she says tearfully. "I know I was going to get rid of it anyway and I'm sorry that I never really gave you the choice in that, but I just feel like he took away our chance to say goodbye. I wanted you there, more than anything, and I needed you to hold me and he took it away."

"Okay, listen to me," he says, cupping her face. "First of all, you didn't have to give me the choice. I would have supported anything you wanted. Secondly, just because you were going to have an abortion doesn't mean you don't have the right to be sad and angry and all of the above. And I'm so sorry that I wasn't there to hold you but I'm here now and I'm never letting you go again. He will not hurt you again. You and I are together and we will be for a long time and when we're ready and we're happy, we can have a baby on our own terms. Okay?"

"Okay," she says, leaning and kissing him hungrily. "I am so deeply in love with you that I don't even know how to describe it."

"I know," he says, kissing her again. "Me too. So much."

She stares at him for a moment and then kisses him for a third time, this time not breaking away until she needs to breathe and even then only for a moment, slipping her tongue into his mouth and making out with him until both of them are practically tearing each other's clothes off.

"We need to go and get Emily," he says, pulling away reluctantly.

"Yeah, I guess we do," she says. "Ezra, I know I say it a lot but I guess I'm making up for lost time. I really do love you."

"I know," he says. "I love you so much."

* * *

"Hey, Spence," Hanna says into her phone. "How are you?"

"Not too bad," Spencer says quietly. "Listen, have you spoken to Aria or Emily?"

"No?" Hanna says. "I have a couple of missed calls but I fell asleep; I was just about to call them back."

"Oh," Spencer says. "They want to go back to school on Monday."

"Okay," Hanna says, nodding. "Well I'm in."

"Really?" Spencer says. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," Hanna says. "I'm really tired of not being allowed to live my life. I just want to finish school and get out of here, and to do that, I have to go back to school."

"Okay," Spencer says. "You should call them then."

"Are you not going?" Hanna asks.

"No, I am," Spencer says. "I just wasn't sure what you'd want to do."

"Okay," Hanna says. "How are they? Do they seem alright?"

"Yes, as well as they can be," Spencer says. "I haven't spoken to Aria, but Emily says she and Ezra haven't spent a second apart since she got home."

"Whoa," Hanna says. "That's pretty intense."

"Yeah, well," Spencer says. "According to Em, that's one of the reasons Aria wants to go back to school. Like, she absolutely is in love with Ezra but I think she's a bit scared of how much she needs him. She wants her life to go back to normal and that includes them being able to be apart without freaking out."

"Yeah, I get it," Hanna says. "I mean, Caleb's been here most of the time – he's just gone home now but he said he'd be back in the morning. Have you seen Toby?"

"Yeah, he's still here actually," Spencer says. "I think it's slightly different for us because we weren't like…together together when I went away, you know? I mean you and Caleb were really close and obviously Aria and Ezra were this amazing couple, but Toby and I were still sort of hovering around each other. This really has brought us closer together but we're still not…quite there yet?"

"That's okay though," Hanna says. "You don't want to rush into anything because of what happened. Just go at your own pace and it will all be okay. How's Emily?"

"Well that's the thing," Spencer says. "She still hasn't spoken to her parents about Maya."

"What?" Hanna says. "Haven't they, like, worked it out?"

"No, apparently not," Spencer says. "And if they have, they're pretending they haven't because they wouldn't let Maya speak to her."

"So she hasn't seen her yet?" Hanna gasps. "Poor Em."

"No, she has," Spencer says. "Aria and Ezra drove her there and then they went up to the vantage point to have a deep and meaningful."

"Do you think Aria's okay?" Hanna asks, her voice coloured with concern.

"No, I don't," Spencer says. "I think now that she's out and she doesn't have to focus on surviving or anything else, it's really starting to hit her that she lost a baby. I mean, a miscarriage is tough for anyone to handle but for Aria, on top of everything else..."

"I can't even imagine," Hanna says sympathetically. "She'll be okay though. Ezra will help her through it and we'll all support each other."

"Course we will," Spencer says. "Listen, the pizza just got here but we should meet tomorrow, before we go back to school Monday?"

"Yeah, good shout," Hanna says. "I'll text the others, tell them I'm up for school and suggest we meet for coffee?"

"Good idea," Spencer says. "Maybe ask Caleb to come along?"

"Why?" Hanna asks.

"Because there's no way Aria's coming without Ezra," Spencer says. "But I think Ezra and Caleb grew quite close while we were away and he might be enough to create a distraction so we can talk to Aria without Ezra hovering."

"He doesn't mean ill, you know," Hanna says. "He just wants her to be okay."

"I know," Spencer says. "But being in that bunker was one of the most claustrophobic, suffocating experiences of my life, and she doesn't need somebody else suffocating her now."

"I agree," Hanna says. "Right, night, babe. Enjoy your pizza."

"Night, Han," Spencer says. "Love you."

"Love you too," Hanna says, hanging up the phone and starting to dial Aria's number.

"Hey, Han," Aria says brightly. "How are you, hon?"

"Not too bad, you?" Hanna says.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Aria says quietly. "What's up?"

"Um, I just spoke to Spence," Hanna says. "She says we're going back to school on Monday?"

"Only if you want to," Aria insists. "We wanna go but if you're not ready, there is 100% no pressure from any of us, okay?"

"Okay," Hanna says. "I think I will come though, I'm ready to get back to normal."

"Okay," Aria says. "So how was your day? Is Caleb there?"

"No, he just left," Hanna says. "But Spencer was saying that it's kind of weird that he stayed as long as he did? I don't know, I'm just finding it all pretty hard and Caleb makes it better."

"I don't think it's weird," Aria says. "Ezra's still here. Like, I think it's different for her because her and Toby aren't as close, but for me and you, we were very close to our boyfriends. I don't know about you, but having Ezra here makes me feel safe and protected and loved and I need that right now."

"Yeah, me too," Hanna says softly.

"Are you having trouble sleeping without him?" Aria asks perceptively.

"A little," Hanna admits tearfully. "Aria, is there something wrong with me?"

"No," Aria says. "Hanna, will you come round? You can stay with me tonight."

"Okay," Hanna says. "I'll be there in 10."

Sure enough, ten minutes later, the doorbell rings and Hanna walks into the Montgomery household. "Hello, Hanna," Ella says, surprised.

"Hi, Mrs Montgomery," Hanna says, rushing past her and straight into Aria's open arms. Aria, dressed in pyjamas and slipper boots, hugs her tightly and then leads her upstairs to her bedroom. Ashley walks in a few moments later and frowns.

"Is she okay?" Ashley asks. "Did she see Aria?"

"Yes," Ella says. "Come and have a cup of tea?"

Half an hour later, Ashley says, "Should one of us check on the girls?"

"Ezra's with them," Ella says. "They're fine."

"I'm going to check," Byron says, squeezing Ashley's shoulder. He disappears and then reappears a few moments later. "They're asleep," he explains. "All of them, in Aria's bed. Hanna, Aria and Ezra."


	12. Chapter 12

On Monday morning, silence falls in the hallways of Rosewood High as the four most popular girls walk by. The tallest, Emily Fields, is wearing her usual black sneakers and long white socks, her skirt is as short as it has ever been and she is carrying her brown school bag and sports bags over her arm. However, she has swapped her cropped grey blazer for a grey winter coat with fur lining and a matching hood, and she has her hair tied up in a messy bun on top of her head.

Next is Spencer Hastings, who is wearing long grey socks, shiny black heels, a tiny school skirt and a long cream coat with a furry hood. She has her arms full of folders and has an expensive bag hanging over one arm. She is wearing a face full of natural-looking make-up, a locket around her neck and her hair is cascading down her back in long dark waves.

Beside her is Hanna Marin, who has swapped her usual knee high socks for black tights. She is wearing a tiny skirt, a jumper which barely fits her, strappy heels and a long black coat with a fur hood. She is carrying an expensive bag over one arm and is tapping away on her phone with perfectly manicured nails. Her make-up is perfect and her hair is in a loose plait over one shoulder.

Finally, Aria Montgomery, Homecoming Queen and seemingly leader of the pack. She is wearing long grey socks with strappy black heels, a tiny skirt with a giant safety pin holding it together, massive peacock earrings and a matching necklace, and a tight black jumper over her white school blouse. She has swapped her blazer for a long black coat and has pinned her hair up in a bun which somehow looks effortless and insanely complicated all at once. She is also tapping away on her phone with long, perfect nails, and has a flawless layer of make-up on.

Everybody falls quiet as they pass. There is not a soul in town who hasn't heard about the ordeal these girls have been through, no-one who didn't see the footage of them arriving back in town, dirty and hungry and tired and traumatised. There is nobody who doesn't pity them for having to live through the torture, no-one who doesn't respect them for surviving it. But looking at them now, you wouldn't know about any of it. Looking at them, it's just another Monday morning.

"Where's Caleb?" Aria asks Hanna as they reach the blonde's locker.

"Running late," Hanna replies, rolling her eyes. "As per."

"What about Maya, Em?" Aria asks, leaning back and scanning the corridors with a vague interest.

"Coming," Emily says. "She said she was gonna be late too, so I'll probably see her after homeroom."

"How are you feeling about homeroom?" Spencer asks Aria. "First one of the year without Ezra."

"Yeah," Aria says, her voice betraying the anxiety she feels. "And this is the one I need him the most…"

"Is he going to pick you up from school?" Emily asks.

"Yeah, I think so," Aria says, smiling fondly. "He said any of us could call him any time; he'd be here in ten minutes."

"Okay," Emily says. "Have we got after school plans?"

"I was thinking we could hit up the coffee shop again?" Spencer suggests.

"Yeah, good shout," Aria agrees. "Come on, we're gonna be late."

"Not like you to care," Spencer teases.

"Yeah, well," Aria says, "new teacher."

"Hang on," Hanna says, looking the other way. "Aria, I think there's someone here who wants to see you."

Aria spins round on the spot and her face splits into the biggest grin as she sees Noel standing at the other end of the corridor. She walks calmly towards him, her hips swaying seductively, and then at the last second, she jumps, throwing herself into his open arms and hugging him tightly. "Hey, little one," he whispers. "How are you?"

"Better," she says quietly, letting go and dragging him down the corridor to where the girls are waiting. As soon as he's within reach, Emily throws herself into his arms.

"Hey hey," he laughs, hugging them all tightly in turn. "We okay?"

"We're better," Spencer says. "Come on, girls, we need to get to homeroom."

"Okay, we'll see you at lunch, Noel?" Aria says.

"Of course," Noel says, heading back down the corridor to where the boys are waiting.

"That reminds me," Aria says quietly. "I need to go and see Jason."

"You haven't seen him yet?" Hanna gasps.

"No," Aria says. "I don't know why, Ezra's suggested it a bunch of times but I'm scared."

"Why?" Spencer asks sympathetically. "Jason loves you, he must be desperate to see you."

"And I am too, but I guess there's a part of me that thinks he blames us," Aria admits. "Like, we got out and Ali didn't."

"Jason doesn't blame us for that," Emily says. "Don't even think it, Aria. You should go and see him."

"Yeah, I know," Aria sighs. "Come on, let's get to Homeroom."

The four girls walk into the classroom and drop into their usual seats. They are very aware of people watching them, but they ignore, chatting among themselves until the teacher comes in. She is a young woman, fairly pretty but very nervous-looking. She puts her books down on the desk, looks up at them and gulps.

"Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer?" she asks quietly.

"Yes," Aria says clearly, her voice ringing out around the classroom in a sharp contrast.

"Would you step outside for a second?" she requests. "I'd just like a moment."

"Of course," Aria says, getting up and walking to the front of the classroom, the other three quick on her heels. The teacher follows them out and closes the door quietly.

"Hello," she says. "I am Miss Raven, I'm your new homeroom teacher. I don't know if you heard that your old teacher left…?"

Aria glances at Spencer, grinning broadly, and then says, "Yeah, we knew."

"Ah okay," Miss Raven says. "Well, um…I didn't know you before and I don't really know you now but I wanted to extend my support to you. I can't even imagine what you've gone through but I know sometimes it can be easier to talk to someone who doesn't really know you, so if you need an ear, or just a quiet place to get some peace, my door is always open."

"Thank you," Spencer says quietly. "We appreciate it."

"I also wanted to say that as far as my lessons go, if you feel like it's too much for you or you need to take a few minutes to compose yourselves or you just can't handle it today, you can dismiss yourselves," Miss Raven says.

"Thank you," Hanna says.

"Can I just check?" Miss Raven says. "Who's who?"

"Aria," the small brunette says, raising her hand.

"I'm Spencer Hastings," Spencer says, extending a hand for the teacher to shake.

"Emily Fields," Emily says, biting her nails. Aria reaches out and playfully slaps her hand away and Emily grins at her.

"I'm Hanna," the blonde says brightly. "I suppose you've heard all about us."

"The principal told me about you," Miss Raven admits. "But only very quickly, that you'd been through this ordeal and that you'd be back today. I don't really know anything about you."

"I'm the Senior Class President," Spencer says helpfully.

"Yeah, I'm Cheer Captain," Emily says. "Or at least, I was."

"I'm Homecoming Queen," Aria says.

"Yeah, I'm just Hanna," Hanna says.

"Just Hanna," Aria tuts. "Hanna's the most stylish girl you will ever meet. She's very popular, she has a beautiful boyfriend and she's really clever. Spencer is Senior Class President but she's also Debate Team Captain and a straight A student. She has a lovely boyfriend and she's one of the most organised people I know. Emily is Cheer Captain and also a member of the swimming team and sometimes she does athletics. She has a beautiful girlfriend and she's really smart and funny. They're great people who a bad thing happened to, but they're not going to let it define them."

"And then there's Aria," Spencer says fondly. "She is Homecoming Queen and the most popular girl in school by a long way. She has hundreds of boys falling at her feet, but is currently dating someone a bit older, who is desperately in love with her. She has an amazing, bold, daring fashion sense, she is so beautiful, so intelligent and so compassionate that it will stun you. We are all so much more than our trauma."

"Well," Miss Raven says, her eyes glistening with tears. "I look forward to getting to know you better."

"Yeah," Aria says, slipping an arm around Spencer's waist. "Us too."

They file back into the classroom, where Miss Raven takes attendance and then begins the lesson. "Today, we will be looking again at the novel '1984'," she says calmly. "We will be discussing the quote, 'Big Brother is watching you', and the idea that we are always being watched all the time."

Before she can go any further, however, Emily stands up and walks straight out of the classroom. Hanna hesitates for a moment before following her and Spencer and Aria exchange a look before following on. Aria shoots Miss Raven an apologetic look and then they are gone.

"Just sit down," Aria says to Emily, who has tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Aria, I think you're the one who needs to sit down," Spencer says as Emily slides down the lockers and sits on the cold hall floor.

"I'm fine, Spencer," Aria snaps.

"You're not," Spencer says. "Aria, babe, you're shaking. Just sit down."

Aria looks down at her hands, which are shaking violently, and nods, crouching down with her back against the lockers and putting her head in between her knees. Hanna sinks down and sits beside Emily, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and Spencer begins to pace up and down, her heels clicking loudly. For a few minutes, nobody speaks.

"That wasn't the best start, huh?" Emily says, and Hanna and Spencer both laugh in agreement.

"You okay now?" Spencer asks. "You ready to go back?"

"Yeah, I think so," Emily says.

"Aria?" Hanna says, but Aria doesn't move, her face buried in her knees.

"Aria, babe?" Spencer says. "Come on, it's okay. You're safe here."

"Aria," Emily says, kneeling down beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No!" Aria shrieks, skittering away with mad eyes. "Don't touch me, please don't touch me!"

"Okay," Spencer says soothingly. "Okay, Aria, we're not going to touch you. Emily, why don't you call Ezra and we'll just sit here and wait for him?"

"Alright," Emily says, walking down to the other end of the corridor and dialling quickly. "Ezra?"

"Emily?" Ezra says, his voice full of concern. "What's wrong? Is Aria okay?"

"No, she needs you," Emily says. There is no response, just the dialling tone, and Emily hangs up, heading back down to the others, where Aria has buried her head in her knees once again.

"What do we do?" Hanna asks Spencer tearfully.

"We wait," Spencer says. "Ezra will help her."

The three of them sit with their backs against the lockers, watching Aria cautiously. Less than 10 minutes later, Ezra comes sprinting down the corridor. "What happened?" he asks the girls frantically, his eyes on Aria.

"We were studying '1984'," Spencer says and Ezra sighs, clearly furious.

"Don't touch her," Hanna says. "She doesn't want anyone to touch her."

"Okay," Ezra says, crouching down in front of her. "Aria, babe, will you look at me?" For a moment or two, she doesn't respond and then she looks up at him. "Good girl," he says soothingly. "Will you let me touch you? Will you let me give you a hug?" Again, there is a long pause before she nods slowly and immediately he sits down, pulling her onto his lap and holding her close to him. "You're okay," he says clearly, glancing up at the other three now. "All of you are okay. You are safe here, there are police everywhere. He will not get to you again, I promise."

Now Aria seems to snap out of her trance and she crumbles, tears slipping down her cheeks as she clings to him. "I'm sorry," she says to the girls. "I'm so scared."

"Oh Aria," Spencer sobs, shooting forwards and hugging her best friend tightly.

"Me too," Emily says, joining the hug, and seconds later, Hanna joins too.

"Okay?" Ezra says as the bell rings. "Right girls, I'm going to take Aria off and have a quick chat with her, she'll join you in a few minutes."

"Okay," Spencer says, wiping her face. "Aria, I'll get your bag."

"Thank you," Aria says, as the corridors start to fill with people. "Come on, Ezra."

They hurry down the corridor and find an empty classroom. She sits on the desk and bursts into a fresh wave of tears. "I'm so sorry," she says. "I didn't want this to happen, I didn't mean to drag you away from work."

"You don't have to apologise," he says gently. "You just need to take it slow, Aria. Maybe you only do half-days at first. Maybe you talk to your teachers before the lesson to see if there's anything that might be triggering. This isn't just going to go away, Aria, you're going to have to work at it."

"I know," Aria says. "I understand that now. Thank you, for coming so quickly. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"You would have been okay," he says reassuringly. "But luckily you don't have to think about it, because I am never going to leave you."

"I know," she says, leaning up and kissing him deeply. "I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too," he says, pulling her to his chest. Before he can go any further, however, there is a piercing scream from the corridor.

"Spencer," Aria says, breaking into a run. Out in the hallway, there is utter chaos. Hanna is flat on the floor, her arms over her head, Emily has both arms around Spencer and is in floods of tears and Spencer is in hysterics. "Spence," Aria says, grasping both her shoulders and forcing her to calm down. "What happened?"

"I saw A," Spencer says. "We all saw A."

"What?!" Aria shrieks, spinning on the spot and scanning the crowds of people who have gathered around them. "Where?"

"He was right there," Emily says, sobbing.

"Girls," Ezra says, stepping forwards. "He can't have got into the school. It wasn't him."

"It was!" Spencer shrieks. "We saw him!"

"There are police everywhere," Ezra says calmly. "He cannot be here."

"How do you know?!" Aria snaps. "We don't know who he is, we don't know what he looks like, how old he is, anything! What's to stop him walking in here?!"

"I-" Ezra breaks off then, paling. "I don't know."

"He's here, I'm telling you, he's here," Spencer sobs.

"Ezra, will you call Toby please?" Aria says sharply. "Spence, calm down, babe, Ezra won't let him take us."

"Where is Caleb?" Emily says frantically. "Aria, will you help Hanna up please?"

Aria crouches down by Hanna's head and says, "Han, I'm going to help you up now. Wherever A is, he's not going to touch you, alright?"

"Okay," Hanna says, taking Aria's hand and getting shakily to her feet.

"What is going on here?" Vice Principal Tamborelli says. "Ah, girls. Is everything alright?"

"The girls are under the impression that they have seen their kidnapper in the building today," Ezra says calmly.

"We did see him," Spencer says hysterically.

"Okay," Tamborelli says quickly. "Girls, let's all go to my office. Mr Fitz, will you accompany us?"

"Of course," Ezra says. "Come on girls." He turns and addresses the crowd now. "Will somebody please find Caleb Rivers and Maya St Germain and ask them to join us in the Vice Principal's office?"

Hanna and Aria walk along behind Tamborelli, clinging to each other. Emily follows them, helping Spencer who is still shaking, and then Ezra is behind them, scanning the crowds anxiously.

"Sit down," Tamborelli says quietly, and the girls do so. Aria wraps Ezra's arms around her and seats herself on his lap, reaching and holding Hanna's hand until Caleb arrives. He runs into the room, pure horror on his face and flies at Hanna, pulling her to him and refusing to let go. Spencer sits on the floor in the corner, her eyes darting crazily from the door to the window until Toby arrives and then she buries her head in his chest. Emily sits on the floor by the cabinet, tears streaming down her face and when Maya arrives, she simply holds her hand, seemingly unable to stop crying.

Within half an hour, all of the parents have arrived and they sit around Vice Principal Tamborelli's desk, watching their children anxiously. "I think we can all agree that your children should not be back at school yet," Tamborelli says. "They are very fragile at the moment, they are responding to this situation like they have PTSD and if this is the case, they need proper counselling and support."

"Well I agree," Veronica says. "This can't go on. But in terms of their education…?"

"Their presence in the school at the moment is disrupting the education of the other students," Tamborelli says. "I understand they have been through quite an ordeal, but until they are able to interact normally, I would much prefer they did their work at home."

"Maybe he's right," Ella says. "Ezra and I can work with them and then we can get them a counsellor."

"I don't think now is the time to talk about this," Wayne says. "Look at our girls, they need to go home and be taken care of."

"They need to be together," Byron says. "Why doesn't everyone come back to ours? They can get some rest and we can think about what we're going to do."

"Okay," Ashley says. "Hanna, will you come home?"

"I'm coming with," Caleb says.

"Mr Rivers, I must insist that you-" Mr Tamborelli begins, but the parents cut him off with looks of disdain.

"Fine," Ashley says. "Come on, Caleb. Byron, Ella, we'll meet you at home."

"Sure," Byron says. "Ezra? Aria, come on, sweetheart."

Ezra stands up, lifting Aria up and carrying her out of the room without a word, Byron and Ella hot on their heels. Wayne and Pam help Emily out of the room and Maya heads back to class and then Toby and Peter help Spencer out with Veronica just behind them.

* * *

"Okay, they're all settled in bed," Ezra says. "Spencer and Emily are asleep and Hanna looks like she is drifting off. Caleb and Toby are trying to talk Aria down, but all four of them are absolutely adamant that their kidnapper was in the school."

"Can we be certain he wasn't?" Ashley says fairly.

"There are police surrounding the school," Peter says. "They're at every door, every window. How would he have got in?"

"I mean, it's pretty hard to stop someone getting in when you don't know what they look like or anything about them," Ezra says. "It could be anybody, any of the students, any of the teachers."

"Come off it," Byron says. "Any of those students would have been no more than 10 when Alison was kidnapped."

"Who says it's the same person?" Wayne says quietly. "You hear about copycats all the time."

"What so there are two people in Rosewood who have the capacity to keep someone hidden for lengthy periods of time?" Veronica says cynically.

"Besides, the threats were found buried with Alison's body," Ella says. "I don't think it's too much of a leap, I honestly don't."

"I'm not saying I do," Wayne says. "But we can't rule out the police either – they would have had access to the park long after everybody else, they're the ones who are supposed to be looking after our girls and I think they've had the best opportunity."

"If we can't trust the police, then we might as well give up now," Byron says. "We cannot protect our daughters without them."

"I don't think Wayne is saying that we can't trust the police," Pam says, stepping in to defend her husband. "He's just saying we need to be careful. It could be anybody; it could be a teacher or a student or a lawyer or a doctor or a policeman. We don't know."

"Okay, I'm inclined to rule out the students," Ezra says. "None of them would be that resourceful. By the sounds of it, this place was massive, how would they afford it?"

"I really don't think money would be an issue for some of these kids," Ella says. "I know, for example, that Noel Kahn's allowance is ridiculous."

"If you're saying you think Noel Kahn did that to Aria, then you don't know her at all," Ezra says scathingly.

"Of course that's not what I'm saying," Ella snaps. "I'm just making the point. Those kids have the best motive of anybody. I'm sure none of us would stand here and pretend our daughters are perfect angels. They sleep around and they bitch and they're hot and popular and the stuff so many high school kids envy. If you think that some people don't want to see them fall, then you don't know anything about teenagers."

"What about teachers?" Veronica says, her eyes almost uncontrollably flicking to Ezra. "Could any of them have a motive?"

"I don't know," Ezra sighs. "I mean, the girls aren't exactly normal students. They have most of the teachers wrapped around their little fingers, or at least they seem to. It's possible one is tired of it or is just pretending but I just…I don't think any of them would have a strong enough motive to lock them up in a bunker and torture them for weeks, you know?"

"I think we're being stupid to assume that there is a motive to be honest," Peter says. "Whoever did this is obviously a psychopath; they don't need any justification for their actions."

"Yeah," Ashley says. "You're probably right. We're not getting anywhere anyway so we might as well focus on something we can actually control. What are we going to do now?"

"They need professional counselling," Byron says. "I mean, I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't think Aria's talked about what happened in there at all."

"Actually, that's not quite true," Ezra says awkwardly, but before he can go any further, Aria pads into the room. She is still wearing her tiny school skirt and her long socks, but she has removed her massive heels and is about 6 inches shorter. This, and the fact that she has removed most of her make-up, makes her look rather child-like and all of the parents soften as they see her.

"Ezra," she says quietly and immediately he moves to her, putting both arms around her and pulling her close.

"Are you okay, babe?" Ezra asks. "Have you had a little nap?"

"Nah, I can't settle," she says. "There's 5 people in my bed, it's a little crowded."

"Fair enough," Ezra laughs. "Do you want to go for a drive?"

"Yeah," Aria says. "Let me just get my shoes." She runs out of the room and Ezra turns back to the room apologetically.

"I'm sorry," he says sincerely. "I need to be with Aria. It isn't really my place to decide how you handle this anyway, I just want to look after her, and I'll go along with whatever as long as it helps her recover."

"Alright, Ezra," Ella says and then he steps out.

Nobody speaks until they hear the front door slam and then Ashley, Pam and Wayne all shoot Byron sympathetic looks. Peter, however, doesn't hold back and asks abruptly, "Why are you letting that continue?"

"We don't have much of a choice," Ella says. "She needs him right now."

"It's not just that," Byron says. "It's that he gives her what the rest of us cannot. Like Mike can protect her and we can listen if she needs an ear, but she doesn't feel completely, perfectly at ease around us like she does around him. She tells him everything, he's the only one who can calm her down when she's suffering or reliving something or having a panic attack, he's her…. everything. I hate it but he makes her better and when she's already been through so much, I can't take him away from her too."

"I get it," Ashley says. "Caleb's hardly left Hanna's side since she got back, but she needs him and he is so obviously in love with her that I can't bear to part them."

"Whatever," Veronica says. "We need to talk about what happens now."

"I think we need to get them psychologically assessed," Wayne says. "They're probably still grieving after Alison's death, they've been through more trauma than most veterans and they're not dealing with it. Emily still wakes up every night screaming."

"Spencer does too," Peter says. "What about the other two?"

"Aria's been fine," Ella says. "But I think that's because she hasn't slept alone since she got back."

"Yeah, Hanna's the same," Ashley says. "I mean, faced with the prospect of sleeping alone, she rushed around here and slept with Aria and Ezra."

"So we need to find a good psychiatrist," Pam says, frowning disapprovingly at Ella and Ashley. "As soon as possible."

"Yeah," Veronica says. "I'll get on that now. Will one of you go and check on the girls?"


	13. Chapter 13

"Good morning, girls," Dr Sullivan says warmly as they file into her office. Aria is in the lead, her hair piled in a messy bun on top of her head and dressed in a pair of navy tracksuit bottoms, a white vest top, a yellow cardigan and brown UGGs. Spencer is just behind her, dressed in a pair of grey yoga pants, a black vest and a grey hoodie, with black sneakers and a loose plait over her shoulder. Next is Hanna, wearing a baggy cream jumper and dark pink leggings with white sneakers and a braided bun, and Emily is last, wearing a black crop top, denim dungarees, black converse and a high ponytail.

"Morning," Aria says tiredly, curling up on the couch next to Spencer.

"Okay, so we're here today to talk about how you're feeling," Dr Sullivan says. "Whatever you say will not leave this office, I'm not going to tell your parents or your partners or your teachers or anybody. You can be completely honest."

"Fine," Hanna says, wriggling in next to Emily.

"Okay, so to start, none of you are single, is that right?" Dr Sullivan says.

"What about the police?" Aria asks.

"Excuse me?" Dr Sullivan says, blinking at her.

"Can you tell the police what we say here?" Aria asks bluntly.

"If I believe what you tell me endangers yourself or somebody else, then yes I can tell the police," Dr Sullivan says. "Also, in the case of child abuse, I have a duty to report it."

"Right, then I'm out of here," Aria says, pushing up from the couch.

"Aria," Spencer says. "I don't think it counts. You're over 18."

"It's still an abuse of trust," Aria hisses. "I can't sit here and talk about him when the first thing she's going to do is go and report it to the police."

"She won't," Hanna says, shooting Dr Sullivan a dangerous look. "Not if she really wants to help you."

"Aria, please sit down," Dr Sullivan says. "How about this? Anything you tell me today I will promise not to report to the police. Even if under normal circumstances, I would."

Aria gives her a hard stare for a few moments, before nodding and going back to the couch. "No, none of us are single," she says.

"Why don't you tell me about your partners?" Dr Sullivan suggests, watching Aria warily.

"I have a boyfriend," Hanna says quietly. "He's a high school boy called Caleb and he loves me a lot. He's been there for me through all of this and I don't know what I'd do without him."

"I have a boyfriend too," Spencer says. "His name's Toby – he's left school now and he's working as a carpenter. We haven't been going out all that long but I really care about him and he's an amazing guy."

"I have a girlfriend," Emily says, turning an impressive shade of scarlet. "Her name's Maya, she only moved to town a few months ago and I…well I haven't had that conversation with my parents yet. I really like her but I only broke up with my boyfriend a few weeks ago and on top of everything else, I feel like it's too much for them to handle right now."

"And you, Aria?" Dr Sullivan says, looking Aria dead in the eye. Aria has folded her arms and crossed her legs and is staring at Dr Sullivan, as if she is the one doing the assessment.

"I have a boyfriend," Aria says. "His name is Ezra Fitz and he is my old English teacher. We are…very much in love and I can't imagine trying to cope with all of this without him by my side."

"I see," Dr Sullivan says. "So your relationship began-?"

"While he was still a teacher, yes," Aria says. "So go ahead, tell the police, tell my parents, tell the world. They've already taken everything else away from me."

"What do you mean by that?" Dr Sullivan says.

"I don't know about the others," Aria says. "But I took the feeling of safety and security for granted before this. I don't have any privacy because there are always police with us and everybody in school is trying to listen to what we're saying. My sanity is in shreds, I'm hearing sirens and seeing black hoodies when they aren't there and it's all because of him. And now he wants to take Ezra too. Well just do it. I can't fight any more."

"I agree," Spencer says quietly. "How are we supposed to recover with everybody watching us all the time, waiting for us to shatter? It's so much harder to fight your friends than your enemies."

"I don't know how we're supposed to recover when that creep's still out there," Hanna says frankly. "Sure, maybe we're being paranoid, but maybe we're not and until he's in jail, we're not going to know for sure."

"I don't know how we're ever supposed to trust anyone again," Emily says. "This person knew us, knew things about us that nobody should know, knew secrets we hadn't even told each other. How are we supposed to feel safe?"

"Girls, this is good progress," Dr Sullivan says. "Now, I have spoken to your parents and one thing they are extremely worried about is that you have not dealt with your grief about Alison."

"No," Aria says candidly. "I don't think I have. But how can we deal with something that we don't understand?"

"Aria's right," Spencer says. "It all comes back to the fact that we don't know who's doing this to us and until we do, I don't think we're ever going to recover."

"Agreed," Hanna says quietly.

"Okay, girls, why don't we do some individual sessions now?" Dr Sullivan says. "Aria, why don't we start with you?"

"Caleb, Toby and Ezra are in the waiting room," Aria says quietly. "You'll be okay, yeah?"

"Yeah," Hanna says. "Scream if you need anything."

"Of course," Aria says, grinning. She watches the girls leave and then stretches her legs out on the couch beside her, watching Dr Sullivan expectantly.

"So, Aria," the young doctor says. "Why don't we talk about Ezra? Why have you chosen a relationship which could possibly destroy so many lives?"

Aria pauses for a long time, clearly thinking hard and then says, "I'm a pretty girl, you know. I mean, obviously you know it, you're looking right at me. I've always been pretty, ever since I was a little girl. Blonde, rosy cheeks, petite. Everybody adored me. And Alison, she was like my twin. We were practically identical except I'd say she was prettier. And we did everything together, ever since nursery. We were the popular ones, all the little boys and girls loved us. Zac kissed Alison under the apple tree the day before she disappeared. That same day, Jason, her brother, kissed me on his front porch. Then we argued all day about whose birthday was better, both of us refused to walk Alison to the park the next morning, and then she was gone."

She hesitates, brushing tears off her face. "I blamed myself, of course. It was difficult not to," she admits. "So, um, the investigation was a big part of our lives for about a year and then it all went quiet. The DiLaurentises left town so that Jason could start at a new school and I…I changed everything. With them gone, it was much easier to try and forget everything I had lost. I cut my hair off, dyed it black and then pink. I changed my clothes, what movies I watched and what music I listened to. I stopped hanging with the girls because they reminded me of her and naturally I drifted towards the boys."

She pauses again and then sighs, "I was 13 when I lost my virginity. I slept with Noel Kahn one day when we were fooling around and then…it was gone, you know? And it didn't matter anymore. So I started to party and drink and have lots of sex and I was…God I was still a child. But I didn't feel like a child because I'd already been through so much, you know?" Dr Sullivan hands her a tissue, which she takes gratefully, and then she continues, "In the summer before we started high school, my parents and the girls sat me down and said that I couldn't go on like this. I was throwing my life away and is that what Alison would have wanted? It was a turning point for me."

"I dyed my hair brown, toned down my eccentric outfits, started to reconnect with my friends," she says slowly. "And then slowly but surely I became the most popular girl in school. The boys loved me, of course. I was beautiful and I had good banter and they liked having me around. But I'd always struggled with the girls because they said I was slutty and a bitch and all sorts, you know? Girl stuff. But suddenly I was this figure of redemption, a sign that you could turn your life around and still turn out okay. So everybody liked me. And I still slept around and drank and partied, but I also worked hard and I was there for my friends when they were struggling and I became the person Alison would have wanted me to be."

She pauses again, overwhelmed by her tears for a moment. "Last summer I went to New York to look at a college there," she says eventually. "I met this guy when we were both really drunk and we ended up sleeping together. It was stupid but not exactly an unusual occurrence for me, but when I woke up the next morning, I knew instantly what I'd done. I hadn't seen him in what…6 years? But I recognised him instantly. I'd slept with Jason. And all at once, I saw the life I was supposed to have. _We_ were supposed to have, I guess, me and Ali and Jason. Date him all through high school, marry him straight after college, that perfect fairy-tale happy ending. He was my everything when I was a kid. And I looked at him then and I just…I threw up in the bathroom. I couldn't look at him without seeing Alison and I knew that there could never be anything between us again. Nothing romantic, that is. He's still my truest friend and when he came back and we spoke, we reconnected on a totally different level. He doesn't know, by the way, that it was me in New York. I doubt he ever will."

"So after I did that, I came straight back to Rosewood," she confesses. "I dumped my bags and went to a bar and I was desperate for a random hook-up. I needed something fresh to wash the bad taste away, so to speak, and there he was. Ezra. So I hooked up with him in the bathroom and then that night he texted me. And we texted pretty much for the next 12 hours straight. And I liked him. I really liked him. We had similar interests, we had the same sense of humour, we were…perfect for each other. So when I saw him in that classroom, my heart just shattered."

"I tried to resist him, I really did, but there's something between us that is so undeniably beautiful that it was impossible to stay away," she says quietly. "I kept hooking up with him and I was falling in love with him but it didn't reach the intensity it is at now until they found Ali's body. Then, all of a sudden, he was keeping me grounded. He was the only thing stopping me from falling apart, from drifting away from everything that I am and losing myself again. God, he still is. So I know I'm fucked up and I know I need help, but one thing I don't need is to lose Ezra. You may see our relationship as destructive, but when your life is as wrecked as mine is, you won't see anything as destructive any more. You'll just see an opportunity to be happy and grab on with both hands."

"Okay," Dr Sullivan says eventually. "Thank you, Aria, for being so honest and so upfront. I think I understand now. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk about the day you were taken."

"The day?" Aria says, her eyes narrowing. "How much do you already know?"

"A little," Dr Sullivan says. "But I'd like to hear it from you."

"Well why don't you start?" Aria says. "And I'll fill in the gaps."

"Very well," Dr Sullivan says, frowning. "The four of you were in registration. You were seen at lunch and then you were accompanied off the premises to the nearest drug store. You went in and five minutes later, the CCTV footage cut out. Half an hour later, a passer-by approached the store and called the police. The guards on duty were questioned but you were nowhere to be found."

"So you know about the drug store," Aria says. "Do you know why we were there? Have you spoken to the police? Read the files?"

"I have my suspicions," Dr Sullivan says. "Aria, did you go there to take a pregnancy test?"

Aria sighs heavily, inhales and then nods. "Yes," she admits quietly. "I took a pregnancy test. I already knew I was pregnant, I had spoken to Ezra about it the night before, but I wanted to confirm it. I did it in the store, it came up positive and I was on my way to tell Ezra when he snatched us. And then that was that."

"What were you and Ezra planning to do?" Dr Sullivan asks quietly.

"We were planning to book an abortion," Aria says tearfully. "I hated the idea of it but I knew I didn't have a choice and Ezra understood that too. So we agreed that we would book one when we knew, but we never…"

"And the baby?" Dr Sullivan asks.

"Why are you asking me this when you already know the answer?" Aria says tearfully. "God, please don't make me say it."

"Aria, you need to talk about it," Dr Sullivan says quietly. "It will help you come to terms with your loss."

"I lost the baby," Aria says eventually. "I don't know if it was the shocks or the stress or something else entirely but the baby is gone."

"And how do you feel?" Dr Sullivan asks quietly.

"Empty," Aria confesses. "I don't know how to…I feel like I can't be upset about it because I was going to get rid of it anyway but I still…"

"Aria, you don't have to justify your feelings," Dr Sullivan says. "Not to me, not to anyone, do you understand?"

"Yes," Aria says tearfully.

"Will you tell me a bit about the time inside the house?" Dr Sullivan asks.

"I don't think I can," Aria says, shaking her head ruefully. "I can't tell you how horrific it was; you will never understand. I think about it every second of the day, even when I'm trying desperately not to. The thought of going back there keeps me awake at night, and until they catch him, I can't see how that will ever leave me."

"Okay, Aria," Dr Sullivan says. "Have you been sleeping at all?"

"Yes," Aria says. "Ezra stays with me and that makes me feel safe. I haven't slept alone since I got back and you know, sometimes I wake up from the nightmares, but I've not been too bad really."

"Okay," Dr Sullivan says. "Why don't we leave it there for now? We'll carry on some more next time. Will you send Hanna in?"

Aria nods, thanks the doctor and heads out into the waiting room, gesturing to Hanna wordlessly. She crawls onto the sofa and buries her head in Ezra's shoulder, bursting into floods of tears. "Hey," Ezra says gently, pulling her onto his lap. "You alright, babe?"

"No," Aria sobs. "I can't do this anymore."

"Do what, sweetheart?" Caleb asks quietly.

"I just can't _be_ right now," Aria says. "I need life to stop so I can get my head around everything."

"Okay," Ezra says. "You curl up here until the girls are done and then we'll go back to yours and we'll lock ourselves in your room and life will stop, alright?"

"Okay," Aria says, curling up on Ezra's lap and closing her eyes. Ezra exchanges a significant look with Caleb, who glances towards the door Hanna has just walked through, and then leans his head back and closes his eyes.

Meanwhile, in Dr Sullivan's office, Hanna is on the defensive. "Hanna," Dr Sullivan says cordially. "Why don't you tell me about Caleb?"

"Yeah, he's nice," Hanna says, her voice full of contempt.

"A little bit more perhaps?" Dr Sullivan says lightly.

"He's my age," Hanna shrugs. "He's in some of my classes. He's really good looking and funny and an amazing hacker and he adores me. Like really really loves me. And that makes a change."

"Why do you say that?" Dr Sullivan asks.

Hanna pauses for a long time and then says, "I wasn't the pretty kid in Kindergarten, you know. I was chubby…puppy fat I guess, and it did fall away. But I still wasn't the prettiest kid in class, because I was Aria's best friend. And sure, the boys looked at me, but they looked at her first. Always. And then after Ali went missing, she stopped hanging out with us and started hanging with the boys and then she got _really_ slutty. And like it's not a criticism, I think girls should be able to enjoy sex as much as guys, but seriously, she slept with all of the popular boys. And that meant when we got to high school, all my, like, potential boyfriends had slept with Aria. I finally settled on Sean because he'd only hooked up with her the one time and that was okay, but really I never felt secure. I mean, when Aria was in a room, his attention was on her and then he turned out to be gay anyway so it was not a great relationship but whatever."

She has said all this in practically one breath and now she pauses, not looking at Dr Sullivan. "I got detention at the beginning of this year," she continues eventually. "I literally cannot remember what it was for, something so trivial, but Mrs Hernandez made me help out on the yearbook as my punishment and I sort of made friends with Lucas, the guy who was doing all the photography. He's the one who got arrested for our kidnapping, which means it's pretty much my fault. If I hadn't made friends with him, he would never have got caught up in this mess. Anyway, that's beside the point. Lucas knows Caleb and that's how I met him. And right from the beginning, he only looked at me. Aria was there and his eyes were on me and I just knew…I just knew he was the one for me."

"It sounds like Caleb really does care about you," Dr Sullivan says. "It also sounds like you have some resentment for Aria."

"No," Hanna says. "Not at all. Aria is my best friend in the entire world and it's not her fault she's really pretty. I don't blame her for anything, honestly. I owe her everything. She has had my back ever since we met, really. She threw Homecoming Queen three times so that I could win because she knew how much it meant to me. And like when I first started dating Caleb, I kept it a secret but she found out from somebody else and she didn't kick off at all. When I found out she'd kept her relationship a secret, I was fuming, but she didn't bat an eyelid. She just invited him for dinner because she wanted to get to know the guy I liked. She's amazing and I do not resent her at all."

"So she's friends with Caleb?" Dr Sullivan asks curiously.

"Yeah," Hanna says. "I think they've bonded over the fact that they both love me and they want to protect me and…yeah, I don't know. They hang out quite a lot, but not like one on one, just when there are other people around."

"I see," Dr Sullivan says. "What about you and Ezra? Do the two of you get along?"

"Very well," Hanna says. "Yeah, I mean it's different because he's older than us. It's not as easy for me to, like, chat to him because we don't have so much in common but I trust him with my life and I really like him. The second night, after we got home, Caleb had to go and sort something out, so Aria invited me round to hers and the three of us all slept in one bed together. He honestly cares so much about all of us and wants to protect us, but no-one as much as Aria. He's so deeply in love with her, honestly."

"Yes, so I've heard," Dr Sullivan says. "Right, Hanna, tell me how you felt after Alison went missing?"

"God," Hanna says, thinking hard. "That whole period is such a blur of shock and pain and sadness to be honest. Aria remembers the day with such clarity, as do Jason and Spencer but I can't…it's like my brain has completely shut it down."

"Okay, what about after?" Dr Sullivan says. "You've talked about elementary school and high school, but what about middle school?"

"I just sort of drifted," Hanna shrugs. "Aria wouldn't even look at me because every time she did, she broke down. Emily threw herself into her sport and Spencer into her work and everyone was just doing their own thing and so I did mine too. And then my parents split up and everything just got…messy. I don't know, I don't really think about it. After we helped Aria turn it around, the four of us came back together and everything was good again. We worked really hard to maintain this image, especially in high school, you know? We were the popular ones and we liked it. _Everybody_ wanted to be friends with us. It was good."

"Hmm," Dr Sullivan says. "Hanna, do you think you can tell me about that day?"

"I don't really remember it," Hanna shrugs. "I remember going to the drug store and I remember freaking out when Aria's test came up positive. Oh." She goes bright red and her eyes dart towards the door and then she presses her mouth together and stops talking.

"Hanna, I know about Aria's baby," Dr Sullivan says soothingly. "You can carry on."

"Okay," Hanna says reluctantly. "I mean, I don't really remember much after that. Just a lot of gas and then I woke up in that cell."

"And your time in the bunker?" Dr Sullivan says.

"I don't want to talk about it," Hanna says, folding her arms.

"Okay," Dr Sullivan says. "How have you been sleeping?"

"I haven't slept alone yet," Hanna admits. "Caleb has stayed with me most nights and if he can't for any reason, I stay with one of the girls. I slept with Aria and Ezra one night, like I said. I just don't feel safe without anyone there, I guess."

"Have you had any nightmares?" Dr Sullivan asks.

"Yes," Hanna says. "God, I see the bunker every time I close my eyes, I just…"

"Alright, Hanna, let's call it a day for now," Dr Sullivan says. "Will you send Emily in please?"

Hanna nods silently, hurries out of the room and says, "Em, your turn." Emily gets up and slips inside, clearly nervous, but Hanna barely notices, collapsing on the couch and hugging Caleb tightly as he pulls her closer to him.

"How was it?" Spencer asks in a hoarse voice.

"Hard," Hanna says honestly. "I don't think…I didn't realise…I'm not okay. And I didn't realise that til now."

"Same," Aria says, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Well maybe she can help you?" Toby says.

"Maybe," Hanna says. "But until they catch A, I can't imagine anything will help us."

Back in Dr Sullivan's office, Emily is sitting bolt upright on the very edge of the couch. "Emily, you can relax," she says with a comforting smile, but Emily shakes her head curtly. "Okay then," Dr Sullivan says. "Why don't we start by talking about Maya? Is she your first girlfriend?"

"Yes," Emily says hesitantly. "I mean, she's not my first…thing. I had a boyfriend for two and a half years; his name was Ben. But then in the summer before senior year, I went to Haiti to do Habitat for Humanity and I didn't speak to him at all. And we didn't write or text or anything and then I realised that I didn't miss him. I mean, I did, of course I did, he's one of my best friends. But I didn't miss him as my boyfriend, you know? I got back and I hardly saw him the first few weeks of senior year and then the girls and I went to Noel Kahn's cabin party and it all came out about Noel and Sean going together, you know? And then I went home that night and I really thought about it and I realised that I wanted to make out with Hanna more than I wanted to make out with Ben. And like, I'm not into Hanna, I think I probably know her too well for that. But the principle was there, that I was more interested in girls than guys. I went to Homecoming with Ben, but we broke up just a few days later and then Maya moved to town."

"How did you meet her?" Dr Sullivan asks.

"She moved into the house just across the street from us," Emily explains. "My mom made me take her family a welcome basket and we met that day. I helped her put her room together and then we got coffee and from then on we were friends. A couple of weeks later, I took her to Sean Ackard's party. I think it was a Halloween party but I hardly remember. Anyway, he had a photo booth and we made out in it. Aria found out a couple of days later and I was so scared of what she was going to say, but she was really supportive and she invited her to come to dinner with us. From then on, we were a thing."

"But you still haven't spoken to your parents about it?" Dr Sullivan asks curiously.

"No," Emily says. "I mean, I'm not an idiot. I was missing for almost two months and Maya was as worried as Toby was. Not as worried as Caleb or Ezra maybe, but I'm pretty sure those two would kill themselves for Hanna and Aria so I don't mind. But Maya was really worried. She rang my house every day, she didn't behave like a concerned friend would behave. And even if my parents haven't clocked onto the fact that I reciprocate, they must know by now that she has feelings for me."

"Your parents love you, you know," Dr Sullivan says. "They wouldn't have sent you to me if they didn't. And I don't think the person you choose to love will change that."

"I know," Emily says. "I know they love me and I know that they always will. But I don't want to push them away or create any tension between us when I've only just got them back. I just need a little more time."

"And that's completely fair enough," Dr Sullivan says. "I'm not here to push you or pressure you in any way. I'm here to support you whatever decision you choose to make. So let's move on for now. Tell me about Alison."

"Alison," Emily says, smiling. "You've met Aria and they were like two peas in a pod. I suppose Aria is kinder, more compassionate than Ali ever was. Ali was…unforgiving. If you crossed her, that was it, you know? Like Lucas, in elementary school, he got an answer right that she'd just got wrong and nobody spoke to him for about a month. She was pretty ruthless from a very early age and I think the one thing that Aria has tried to do since she's come back to us…I think Aria tries to be kind and inclusive. I mean, she doesn't go out of her way to do it, you know? Like she spends her time with us and the boys and Ezra and mostly that's it, and at parties she hangs with us, but if somebody she doesn't normally hang with tries to speak to her, she will be friendly and charismatic and kind. Alison was more…cruel, I guess? And I hate to say it knowing what she went through and I still absolutely adored her but she could be mean at times. She had an edge to her a bit like Spencer has, I guess?"

"What do you mean by that?" Dr Sullivan says.

"I don't mean it in a bad way," Emily promises. "All I meant to say was that Spencer and Alison are both extremely intelligent and they both are quite impatient people so they had very little time to wait for people to catch up. It's why Spencer and Hanna clash quite a lot – Hanna's very bright too but her common sense is sometimes…lacking, so it takes her a bit longer. Aria's really clever too but she's more patient and more…compassionate so she seems to be a lot kinder. I don't know…"

"Okay," Dr Sullivan says with a reassuring smile. "Do you remember the day she went missing?"

"Not really," Emily says. "I remember the days afterwards though. Aria was practically catatonic, she hardly said two words for about a week, except to Jason, Ali's brother. Hanna cried literally the entire time, I cried a lot and Spence…Spence asked a lot of questions. We were all so confused, we didn't understand what was happening and we were just trying to make sense of it but it…well it took us a while to get over."

"Yes," Dr Sullivan says. "Both Aria and Hanna have admitted that you drifted apart in middle school."

"We did," Emily agrees. "Aria changed everything about herself – she was trying to block out any thoughts of Ali because they were just too painful, and I totally got it. Obviously it hurt that she didn't want to hang out with us but I understood. I thought the rest of us would stick together but I found out quite quickly that I was wrong. Hanna made other friends and then it was just Spencer and I and it got a lot harder after that. I wanted to find my own interests so I tried out for cheerleading, which was great, and for swimming, which is what really got me through the whole mess. I liked swimming, you know? It's one of those things that you have to be so focussed on – you can't think about anything else apart from that and I thought that was a good thing. I don't know, I was happy when I was swimming."

"But you gave it up?" Dr Sullivan says. "Why?"

"Well Aria went like properly off the rails in middle school," Emily says. "And when the three of us teamed up to drag her back on, we sort of fell back into old patterns, like nothing had changed. And there was an unspoken agreement that we would work very hard to go back to being the ringleaders, the popular ones, like Ali would have wanted. So I kept my spot on the cheerleading squad and made captain in junior year, but swimming just seemed to…slip away, I guess."

"So do you blame Aria for making you give it up?" Dr Sullivan asks.

"No," Emily says, shocked. "Of course not! If I'd wanted to keep swimming, she would have supported me. She would have been at every meet, cheering me on. I chose to give it up because I didn't need it to make me happy anymore. I had my friends back."

"I see," Dr Sullivan says, nodding calmly. "Now, can we talk about the bunker?"

"I don't think so," Emily says, shutting right down. "I don't think I'm ready for that."

"That's fine," Dr Sullivan says. "One last question then, Emily. How have you been sleeping?"

"Not very well," Emily confesses. "I wake up screaming two or three times a night. I just…I have a lot of bad dreams."

"That's perfectly understandable and it's one of the things we'll work on in these sessions. Okay, let's leave it there then," Dr Sullivan says. "Send Spencer in, will you?"

"Sure," Emily says. "Thank you." She heads out of the room and throws herself down on the sofa beside Ezra, who rubs her shoulder reassuringly, careful not to disturb Aria.

"Hey," Spencer says sullenly, crossing her arms and her legs as she sits down.

"Hello Spencer," Dr Sullivan says encouragingly. "I feel I should be frank with you."

"I'd appreciate that," Spencer says quietly.

"When your parents came to me, with all of the other girls' parents," Dr Sullivan says, "they advised me to look into your medical records. Specifically, the records of your stay at the St Joseph's Institute for Addiction back in 2011. You were, what, 13?"

"Yes," Spencer says.

"Why don't you talk to me about that?" Dr Sullivan says.

"So my…my addiction…I started talking the pills in middle school," Spencer says. "The first year it wasn't so bad. I only took them when I was studying for a big test or I had a big presentation coming up, you know? I borrowed them from Andrew – he was on the scholastic decathlon team with me and he was the starting line-backer of the middle school football team, so he was cool…popular. He and I were the cool ones of the nerds so we hung out a lot. As I got to know him, he told me that he had ADHD and I did too so that was something we could bond over. But his was much more severe than mine and he was still taking the drugs and if it got bad…he let me borrow some."

"I see," Dr Sullivan says. "But it escalated?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Spencer says, laughing bitterly. "So over the summer, I didn't take any and I was fine. And then the next term, I fell back into old habits, you know? Borrowed some pills off Andrew, more and more often. And then over the Christmas vacation, it was…it was hard to not have them. So I phoned up the doctors, pretended to be my mom, got a prescription. And another. And another. Then I was borrowing Andrew's stash and using my own and I was going full weeks without sleep, just surviving on pills and coffee and I…it was bad. My parents finally clocked on in the early summer and they cut me off completely. Locked me up, didn't let me go anywhere apart from school. And then one night after school had ended, in a fit of the ultimate desperation, I broke out of my house, into a drug store and stole the drugs I needed. I was so high when they caught me that I almost killed my sister."

Spencer pauses, tears streaming down her face, and then continues, "That's when I knew things needed to change. My parents persuaded the shop owners not to press charges on the condition that I went straight to rehab. I left that night, drove for three hours and checked straight in. I stayed there the entire summer, told everybody that I'd been researching colleges and then I slotted back into normal life like nothing had changed. In reality, of course, everything had."

"Is it possible that when you started taking the drugs, you were looking for a way to deal with Alison's disappearance?" Dr Sullivan asks gently.

"Oh, I'd say that's a massive possibility," Spencer says. "I mean, it wasn't just Ali. Aria wasn't speaking to any of us, Emily was swimming morning, noon and night and Hanna was suddenly best friends with Mona of all people."

"Mona?" Dr Sullivan says, her whole face going white as a sheet. "Mona Vanderwaal?"

"Yeah," Spencer says, not looking up from her clasped hands. "I just felt like I'd lost everything and I didn't know how to handle it. But I didn't really grieve for Ali until I was in that rehab centre and I just…"

"I understand," Dr Sullivan says. "Could we just go back for a moment? Hanna is friends with Mona Vanderwaal?"

"Yes, she is," Spencer says, surprised. "Why?"

"Mona Vanderwaal has been arrested and charged with the murder of Alison DiLaurentis," Dr Sullivan says quietly.

"What?!" Spencer gasps loudly and there is a crashing sound in the waiting room outside and then the next second, Caleb and Toby have come running in.

"What's happened?" Toby says anxiously. "Are you okay, Spence?"

"Get everybody in here," Spencer says, not taking her eyes off Dr Sullivan. "They all need to hear this too. And you boys have got some explaining to do if you've been keeping this from us."

"Keeping what?" Caleb says as Toby sticks his head out of the door and gestures to the others.

"Wait," Spencer says sharply. She watches the girls file in, Ezra coming in last and sitting down next to Aria, who has snuggled into Spencer's side. "Tell them what you just told me."

"Mona Vanderwaal has been arrested and charged with the murder of Alison DiLaurentis," Dr Sullivan repeats.

"What?!" Aria, Hanna and Emily gasp in unison.

"You have _got_ to be joking," Hanna says. "Mona?!" She spins to Caleb and snaps, "Did you know this?!"

"Yes," Caleb says. "I was going to tell you, Hanna, I swear, but I just thought with everything that's been going on, you didn't need to deal with that too."

"Oh stop talking," Hanna says furiously, turning back to Dr Sullivan. "You explain. How could they possibly think Mona did this?"

"Yeah, Mona would have been 10 when Alison was abducted," Aria says. "Same as us. God knows I don't like the girl but she's not A."

"They don't think she's A," Dr Sullivan says. "The theory the police are currently working on is that A kidnapped Alison when she was 10 years old. He kept her hidden in that bunker for 8 years and lost her when she escaped. He came to Rosewood to recapture her and take her back but before he could do so, Mona killed her."

"With what motive?" Aria says disbelievingly.

"Did Mona and Ali get on when they were children?" Dr Sullivan asks.

"No," Aria says. "Ali and I both hated Mona. To be honest, in elementary school, nobody really hung with Mona, right guys?"

"Yeah, that's true," Emily says fairly. "I mean there were, what, 11 of us in our Kindergarten class? Us five, Noel, Sean, Ben, Zac, Lucas and Mona? And us five and the four boys were _really_ tight so Lucas and Mona kind of hung together but mostly they kept themselves to themselves. But I seriously doubt Mona hated Ali so much that she killed her."

"I agree," Spencer says. "God when they found Ali's body, it had been…chopped into pieces. There's a big difference between killing somebody in a fit of childish rage and hating somebody so much that you want to dismember them!"

"There is no indication so far that Mona did that to her," Dr Sullivan says.

"What evidence are they working on right now?" Hanna says scathingly.

"They found some CCTV of Alison the night she died," Dr Sullivan says quietly. "She was wearing a red scarf. They found the same scarf, with Ali's fingerprints, in Mona's house."

"What?!" Hanna breathes. "Oh my God, this isn't happening."

"Hanna, listen to me," Aria says calmly, clasping both of Hanna's hands between her own. "You know Mona. We all know Mona. She may not have liked Alison, that much is true. But Mona would never in her life have killed somebody that she hadn't seen for 8 years. She didn't have that sort of hatred in her heart."

"You said you thought she was cold and calculating and a psycho," Hanna says tearfully.

"I said I thought that when she was 8," Aria says. "She's changed so much since then, we all have. I mean, really, who would have thought we'd ever be even on our way to being friends? But we were and I _know_ that Mona didn't do this. So don't think it, not for another second."

"You're right," Hanna says. "We need to go and see her."

"Now?" Aria says. "Don't we need to apply for a visiting order or something?"

"Well I think," Dr Sullivan begins, but Aria cuts her off with a swift flick of the wrist.

"Not you," Aria says. "You think one of our friends killed Alison, you have lost every right to speak any more today. Spence?"

"Yes, we would need to apply for a visiting order," Spencer says.

"Right," Aria says. "Then let's go and do that right now."

"Aria," Dr Sullivan says firmly. "You have not finished today's therapy session. Spencer still has a lot to get through."

"We're done for today," Spencer says. "You can call our parents and report back; we'll probably be forced back here tomorrow. But right now, Mona is more important. So bye."

"Come on girls," Ezra says, putting an arm around Aria. "Caleb and I can drive you to the police station."

"No," Aria says, shrugging him off. "You all lied to us about this and we can't process that right now. I'll see you at home, Ezra; we can talk about this then."

Ezra looks like he's about to protest but, seeing the determination on Aria's face, he nods. "Take my car," he says quietly. "I love you so much."

"I know," Aria says gently. "I love you too."

"See you later Toby," Spencer says stiffly, following Aria out of the room.

"Yeah, see you boys later," Emily says, shooting an apologetic smile in Dr Sullivan's direction.

"Hanna?" Caleb says desperately. "Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad," Hanna says. "I just can't deal with this right now. I'll catch up with you later."


	14. Chapter 14

"What do you mean, she's not allowed visitors?" Spencer says furiously. "We have to see her!"

"I'm sorry," the cop says, looking very not sorry. "There's nothing I can do."

"Is she allowed phone calls?" Emily asks as Aria consoles a very upset Hanna.

"Yes," the cop says. "According to these records, Mona is allowed phone calls."

"Do you have a number we can call?" Spencer asks.

"Here," the man says, handing her a Post-It note.

"Do we do this now?" Spencer asks, her eyes on Hanna.

"Let me," Hanna says, dialling quickly. She puts it on speaker and the four of them listen to it ring out.

"Hello?" a man's voice says.

"Hi, we're looking for Mona Vanderwaal," Hanna says tearfully.

"Hold on," the man grunts.

There is a long pause and then Mona says, "Hello? Who is this?"

"Mona, it's me," Hanna says nervously.

"Oh my God," Mona says. "Hanna, you're home!"

"Yes," Hanna says. "Mona, the others are here too. We all wanted to speak to you."

"Hey Mona," Aria says lightly.

"Aria," Mona says tearfully. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Aria says. "Are you?"

"Not really," Mona says. "You guys, I didn't do this…I couldn't, I swear. I didn't like Alison but I…"

"We know, Mona," Aria says. "That's why we called, to tell you that none of us believe it and we're so sorry that this has happened to you."

"Oh thank you," Mona says. "Spencer, Emily, are you okay?"

"Yes," Spencer says. "Hold out in there, Mona, okay? We're going to find a way to get you out of there."

"Spencer's right, Mona," Emily says. "We know you didn't do this, don't let it get you down."

"Thank you guys," Mona says, breaking down in tears. "The call's about to run out but as soon as I'm allowed visitors, I'll put you all on the list."

"Okay, babe," Hanna says. "I love you, Mona."

"I love you too, Hanna," Mona says. "Call me again soon, okay?"

"Promise," Hanna says, hanging up and bursting into a fresh wave of tears.

"She's okay, Han," Spencer says, squeezing her shoulders. "She's a strong girl. She will get through this."

"What do we do now?" Emily says.

"I don't know about you guys, but I think Ezra and I need to have words," Aria says, frowning.

"Not yet," Spencer says. "We need to talk about what went down with Sullivan."

"What do you mean?" Hanna asks tearfully.

"What is she going to tell our parents?" Spencer says.

"Nothing that we said," Aria says. "To be honest, talking to her, I feel like I have PTSD. I haven't dealt with my grief over Alison, I haven't dealt with my fears about A, I haven't dealt with a lot of crap that's happened to us, but being able to talk to someone about it, someone who…doesn't matter…? I don't know but it made me feel a lot better."

"Same," Emily says. "Like a weight had been lifted."

"I mean, to be honest," Aria says, "I think it's an absolute certainty that she's going to tell our parents we need more sessions. We might as well face up to that."

"Do you think our parents will all be together?" Hanna asks.

"Most likely," Spencer says, rolling her eyes. "Aria, why don't you start driving us home and I'll call my mom and find out where everyone is?"

"Ezra," Aria says as she leads the girls into Spencer's living room. "Can I have a word?"

"Yes," Ezra says, getting up with a heavy sigh. "Shall we step outside?"

"Um…" Ella says and they both look at her expectantly. "It's raining."

"I don't care," Aria says. "Come on, Ezra."

They step outside into the pouring rain and immediately start to bicker loudly. Aria's parents watch through the window as Aria shouts at Ezra, as he tries desperately to placate her, as she bursts into tears and he pulls her to his chest, and then finally as they make up and kiss deeply. Now Byron pulls a face and turns away, looking instead to Hanna and Caleb, who are bickering in hushed voices, to Spencer and Toby who have their backs to each other and haven't spoken a word since they arrived and finally onto Emily who is leaning on the counter, tapping away at her phone furiously.

"Em?" he asks quietly and she looks up with a vague interest.

"Yes, Mr Montgomery?" she says politely.

"Why is everybody arguing?" he asks.

"Because Dr Sullivan told us about Mona," Spencer says loudly. "And we are not pleased that the boys, or any of you for that matter, made the decision not to share that with us."

"Go outside," Aria says, stepping inside and taking the towel Spencer's mom is offering her. "Just get it out of your system, Spence. It will make you feel better. Plus, we need to talk about other things too so get on with it please."

"Okay," Spencer says, stalking outside. Toby doesn't move until Aria shoots him a dangerous look, at which point he scurries out of the door.

Ezra sits down on the sofa next to Emily, but Aria stays leaning on the counter and asks her dad, "Did you speak to Dr Sullivan?"

"Yes," Byron says. "We wanted to talk to all of you about it together."

"Okay," Aria says, throwing herself down on Ezra's lap and burying her head in his shoulder.

"You okay?" Ezra asks quietly.

"Yeah," Aria says. "Just tired. I feel like this has been one of the longest days ever and I still need to go and see Jason."

"Why?" Ezra asks, his jaw tightening a fraction.

"Because I haven't seen him since I got back," Aria says. "And he's my best friend and I love him and I need him right now."

"Okay," Ezra says. "Well I can drive you after we've finished here."

"Thank you," Aria says, leaning up and kissing him absent-mindedly. Instinctively his hands fist in her hair and he pulls her slightly closer to him, but as she pulls away, he remembers where he is and glances nervously at her dad. Byron is staring obstinately in the other direction but his face is bright red, his teeth are clenched together and he looks like he is working himself up to say something. Before he can do so, Spencer and Toby come back inside, both soaked but looking happier.

"Okay," Veronica says as they sit down. "We better get started."

"So you spoke to her?" Emily asks.

"Yes," Pam says. "She said she needs another session with Spencer before she can give a formal diagnosis for her, since their one was cut short, but she has given a provisional diagnosis and treatment plan for all of you."

"And?" Hanna says, reaching out to squeeze Caleb's hand.

"She has diagnosed you all with PTSD," Ella says gently. "She says that your sleeping patterns and the way you avoid talking about what happened in that bunker indicates this and that you should be treated accordingly."

"This is the diagnosis we were expecting," Peter says. "I don't want you girls to worry about it; she said it's perfectly normal given the trauma you've experienced and that it is treatable."

"How?" Spencer murmurs. "How does she intend to treat us?"

"She suggested drugs," Byron says. All of the girls gasp and he hurries on, insisting, "But we didn't think it was a good idea either, so she's recommended a therapy plan for now and we hold off on the drugs until it becomes absolutely necessary."

"She did recommend you all start taking sleeping pills," Wayne says. "She says that your exhaustion is not helping you handle or process what has happened to you."

"What about the paranoia?" Emily asks quietly.

"The same," Ashley says. "She hopes it will improve with therapy but she did say that until whoever did this to you has been apprehended, it is unlikely that it will completely fade."

"Great," Aria says sarcastically, starting to get up. "Well if that's all, I need to go and see Jason."

"It's not," Byron says sharply and she sits back down. "There was one other thing. She has expressed…concern about how much time the four of you are spending together, and how much time you spend with…significant others."

"What?!" the four girls say furiously.

"She is concerned that you are becoming…dependent on each other and on the boys," Pam says, avoiding her daughter's eyes. "She has recommended that you spend some time apart to regain your independence."

"No," Aria says and the other girls all nod vehemently. "I refuse, and if you push me on this, I will leave home and I'll go and stay with Ezra. I need my friends right now; I will not have you separate us."

"Can't you see that's what A wants?" Hanna says desperately. "He wants to make us feel alone and afraid and he wants us back in that bunker and it'll be way easier to get us if we're alone. Don't you understand that he's playing you the way he's played all of us?"

"Girls, I really think-" Pam begins but Emily cuts her off.

"Enough," Emily says. "We'll go to as much therapy as you want. We'll take drugs if she says we need to, we'll stick to a curfew or anything you want, but we are _not_ stopping seeing each other and that is that."

"I'm going to Jason's," Aria says. "Hanna, we still coming round to yours for a movie?"

"Yeah," Hanna says, getting up off the sofa. "Caleb, shall we go get something to eat?"

"Yes," Caleb says. "Em, Spencer, Toby, wanna come?"

"I'm in," Emily says.

"Yeah, sounds good," Spencer says.

"Where are you going?" Aria asks. "Ezra and I can come join you after we see Jason if that's cool?"

"Course," Hanna says. "We'll probably just go down to the grill?"

"Sure," Ezra says. "Come on, Aria, let's go."

"Jason?" Aria shouts as she knocks on the door.

"Aria, maybe he's not home," Ezra says, but before Aria can reply, the door swings open and Jason steps out.

"Aria," Jason says quietly and she spins on the spot, throwing herself at him. "Hey hey," he laughs, hugging her tightly. "How are you, beautiful?"

"I'm getting better," she says. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Jason says lightly. "I wish you'd come to see me sooner."

"I know, I'm sorry," Aria says. "I guess I just thought…"

"You thought I was angry at you?" he guesses. "Aria, I'm devastated that my sister couldn't escape that creep alive. But I'm so so happy that you're alive and back here with us."

"Thank you," Aria says tearfully. "I love you."

"I love you too," he says, finally letting go of her.

"We're all going to get something to eat," Aria says. "Do you wanna come with?"

"I would love that," Jason says, following Aria down the stairs. He extends a hand to Ezra, who grins broadly and shakes it.

"How are you bro?" Ezra says. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Jason says. "How are you?"

"Yeah, not too bad," Ezra says. "We've been out at the therapist's all morning and then we went back to Spencer's house, but the parents are off on one today and the girls needed to get out of there so here we are."

"How was the therapy, Aria?" Jason asks quietly. "Did you find it helpful?"

"A little," Aria says. "What about you? You did therapy for years, did it help you?"

"Yeah, of course," Jason says. "I'm still sane and I don't think I would be without it, but there are certain wounds that even time can't heal and I just…"

"Yeah," Aria says, nodding sympathetically. "I get it."

"You'll get there though," Ezra says. "Both of you will, one day. The police finding Alison's killer should help."

"Yes, but while they're still messing around with Mona, I don't have much hope for that," Aria says.

"Agreed," Jason says, frowning.

That evening, the four girls and their respective partners are scattered around the living room in Hanna's house. Aria and Ezra are horizontal on Hanna's couch and haven't stopped making out for about half an hour – they are paying no attention to the movie on the screen. Hanna and Caleb are entwined in one of the armchairs and similarly seem more interested in each other than the film. Toby has a sleeping Spencer lying across his lap and is watching the movie with a vague interest as he plaits her hair absent-mindedly. Emily and Maya are sitting on the floor in front of the couch, half watching the film, half watching each other.

"Hanna?" Aria says, finally detaching herself from Ezra breathlessly.

"Yeah?" Hanna says, peering around Caleb with a slight annoyance apparent on her face.

"Can Ezra and I use your spare bedroom for…a couple of hours?" Aria asks.

"Sure," Hanna says, grinning.

"A couple of hours?!" Emily says incredulously. "You're going to be going for that long?"

"We've got a _lot_ of making up to do," Aria says, jumping over the back of the couch and hurrying towards the stairs. "Thanks, Han!" Ezra grins and follows her up the stairs, and then they hear excited giggling.

"I'm surprised she's lasted this long to be honest," Spencer says sleepily. "Or him to be fair."

"What do you mean?" Maya asks, laughing.

"Aria and Ezra used to have sex, like, every day," Hanna says. "Sometimes more than once. We'd leave school at 3, arrange to meet at 5, and when she'd get to us, she'd have sneaked off and had sex with him. They're both so horny for each other."

"Yeah, and God, how long has it been?" Emily says. "Almost 3 months? Aria's gonna spread her legs so wide for him tonight."

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Hanna asks Caleb, who nods keenly. "Are you guys gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, course," Spencer says. "Go, go have sex."

"I mean, we're not-" Hanna begins and Caleb shoots her a scandalised look.

"We're not?" he protests.

"No, we are, but-" Hanna cuts off again, blushing at the broad grins on the girls' faces. "Whatever, we have another spare room so if you guys wanna get it on, just go right ahead. I'll probably see you tomorrow?"

"Enjoy," Emily teases.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Maya whispers, kissing Emily's neck.

"Yeah," Emily says, grinning broadly. "Unless…Spence, Toby, do you wanna go?"

"Nah," Spencer says, glancing at Toby. "I bet we can make really good use of that couch."

"Definitely," Toby grins, leaning in and kissing Spencer hungrily as Emily and Maya creep upstairs.

The two of them move to the couch, where they continue to make out for a few minutes. "I don't…we've never…," Toby says breathlessly. "Is this the right time?"

"No, probably not," Spencer says, chuckling. "I wouldn't want you to feel pressured into doing it just because everybody else is."

"Same here," Toby says. "Maybe we should just wait for another night."

"Sounds good," Spencer says. "Let's just watch the movie, yeah? It's been a long time since we spent any alone time together."

"Yeah, it's nice," Toby says. "I mean, I love your friends, of course I do, but it's nice that it's just you and me."

They cuddle up together on the sofa and start to watch the movie but barely five minutes have passed before Spencer turns to him again. "You know, just because we're not going to have sex…that doesn't mean we can't have some fun."

"That's true," Toby says, pulling her onto his lap and kissing her again.

The next morning, the girls are sprawled around Spencer's living room. Aria is wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a black vest and a green bomber jacket, with her hair tied up on top of her head with a green ribbon. Hanna is wearing a pair of black leggings, a long white vest and a cropped denim jacket, and her hair is in loose messy waves around her shoulders. Emily is wearing a pair of jeans, a baggy white t-shirt and an army green sleeveless jacket with black boots and her hair in a loose plait over her left shoulder. Spencer is wearing a pair of brown jeans, a flowery top and a blue cardigan with brown boots and her hair in a messy bun.

"So," Spencer says, "how did everyone find last night? Are you satisfied now?"

"Very," Hanna says, licking her lips as she grins. "It's been a long time since Caleb and I…but it was great. I'm surprised you didn't hear us?"

"Oh I heard you," Spencer says, laughing. "But you were sort of masked by Aria's screams – are you always that loud?"

"I am with Ezra," Aria laughs. "I'm sorry, guys – it had been like 12 weeks and I was _so_ tightly wound."

"Oh same," Emily says. "It was so nice to just _be_ with Maya again."

"Spence, you and Toby," Hanna says. "Did you two do it before…?"

"No," Spencer says. "And we didn't do it last night either. I mean, we fooled around but we never…"

"That's fair enough," Aria says. "Your first time with someone is important – you shouldn't do it unless you're both ready."

"Yeah, and I mean, we will do it," Spencer says. "I just didn't think last night was the right time."

"Have you seen your parents this morning?" Emily asks her.

"No," Spencer says. "I don't know what to say to them really."

"Me either," Hanna says. "I worry that they're gonna keep tiptoeing around us forever."

"Yeah," Aria nods. "I mean, I don't know about you guys but I feel so much better after talking to Dr Sullivan yesterday. Like this whole A thing might finally be coming to an end."

"I know what you mean," Emily says. "I mean, we haven't heard from him in ages, we haven't…maybe it's over."

"Yeah," Spencer says, smiling. "Maybe it is."

Just then, all 4 of their phones ping and they look down, paling. "I'm still here, bitches," Aria reads shakily. "And I know everything."

"Loose lips sink ships," Spencer reads, white as a sheet.

"You tell on me, I tell on you," Emily reads, her eyes filling with tears.

"Got a secret, can you keep it?" Hanna reads, choking back sobs.

"A," all four of them say aloud and then there is a full minute's silence.

"What do we do now?" Hanna says quietly. "Do we tell the police?"

"No," Aria says and Spencer nods in agreement.

"The message is quite clear," Spencer says. "Tell anyone about this and he'll spill all of our secrets. And he knows every single one now; we told him all of them in the bunker. God, we're so screwed."

"No, we're not," Emily says. "There is something we can do."

"What?" Hanna asks.

"We can tell the secrets ourselves," Aria says, deep in thought. "As much as we can without involving the police."

"What?" Spencer says. "You're gonna tell your mom about being pregnant?"

"Yeah," Aria says. "I think I'm going to have to. God, I need to go home and think this all over. I'll let you know when I decide, okay?"

"Okay," Hanna says, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. "You still gonna come to Em's for the movie tonight?"

"Maybe," Aria says. "I'll see how I get on today." She hugs all of them tightly and then leaves the house, dialling Ezra's number as she goes.

"Aria?" Ezra says, walking into the bedroom and locking the door behind him.

"Hey," Aria says. "I need to tell my parents about the baby."

"Okay," he says. "So this is a goodbye?"

"No," she says firmly. "Certainly not. But it might have to be a 'see you later'. I don't know how they're going to react but I can't imagine they'll be very pleased."

"No," he laughs. "But we'll be okay, Aria. I'll do anything for you, you know that right?"

"Yeah," she says. "I know, and I love you so much for it."

"I love you too," he says. "Oh and by the way, you are the sexiest person alive."

"Nah, that's you," she laughs, turning around and turning off the water. "Come on, we better just get this over with."

"Okay," he says. "Do you want me to stay?"

"No," Aria says. "I'm gonna tell my mom first and hopefully she can help me work out how to tell my dad. If not, I have a secret or two of his up my sleeve and if I have to use them, I will."

"Aria, do not tear apart your family for me," Ezra says. "Your parents are the most important thing right now; you need them in your life."

"I'll do what I have to do," Aria says. "You should go, I'll call you later."

"Okay," he says. "Love you."

"Love you too," she says, kissing him lightly before she walks him downstairs, watches him drive away and then heads into the kitchen where her mom is sitting at the table.

"Hey honey," Ella says. "You want something to eat?"

"No," Aria says. "I was hoping we could talk?"

"Of course," Ella says. "What's wrong?"

"I lied to you," Aria says. "I lied and I'm sorry but I'm ready to tell the truth now."

"Okay," Ella says. "Sit down and talk to me."

"I lied," Aria repeats. "My relationship with Ezra- it was physical before I…went away."

"I assumed so," Ella says wisely. "Why are you telling me this now, Aria? Your father and I have accepted Ezra because we know that you need him."

"I know that," Aria says. "But I have another secret."

"What secret?" Ella asks.

"God, Mom, I messed up so badly," Aria says tearfully. "I was so careful, I've always been so careful, but one stupid mistake and it all came crashing down. I should have told you, I think I probably would have eventually, but I knew you'd be so disappointed in me and I didn't know how to…"

"Okay, stop," Ella says gently. "Aria, are you trying to tell me you're pregnant?"

"No," Aria says. "I'm not pregnant. But I was."

"Oh Aria," Ella says. "Come here." She pulls her sobbing daughter into a hug and holds her until she calms down. "Now are you ready to talk?" Aria nods tearfully and Ella says, "I'm not disappointed in you for getting pregnant. I'm sure you were being careful and I understand that sometimes these things happen. I'm disappointed you didn't come to me – I thought we had a better relationship than that?"

"Mom, you didn't even know I was seeing Ezra," Aria says. "And I found out the day I was taken. That's why I was in that drug store, it was all my fault. I wasn't deliberately keeping it a secret from you, I just didn't know how to tell you that without telling you everything else and I…"

"I know," Ella says. "So did you sneak off after you got back…I don't get it, you've hardly left the house?"

"I didn't have an abortion, Mom," Aria says. "I guess I miscarried. I don't know whether it was the stress, or the electric shocks, but I…a lot of blood and then…"

"Oh baby," Ella says tearfully. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, well," Aria says. "It's for the best."

"Don't say that," Ella says. "You're allowed to be upset; it's a terrible thing to happen to anyone, let alone someone in your position."

"What do we do now?" Aria says. "I want to be honest with Dad, of course I do, but he'll wanna call the police on Ezra and I can't let that happen. I will not let it happen. I'd die for him, Mom, I'd…"

"I know," Ella says. "I will talk to your father. Tell him as much as he needs to know."

"Thank you," Aria says.

"I would like you to think about what Dr Sullivan asked you though," Ella says. "I know it seems cruel and unnecessary, but you and Ezra can't spend every waking minute together for the rest of your lives. Some distance is always good, okay?"

"Yes," Aria says. "I know that, I get why she said it now. But the two of us are… I need him right now, Mom."

"I know, baby," Ella says. "It will all be okay, I promise."


	15. Chapter 15

"Morning," Aria says, walking into Dr Sullivan's office a few weeks later. She's dressed in a simple purple skater dress with lacy tights, black boots and a leather jacket. "How are you?"

"Fine," Dr Sullivan says. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Aria."

"What's going on?" Aria asks. "I thought we'd given up with the group sessions?" Hanna is sitting on the couch by herself, dressed in a lacy white vest, a short black skirt, lacy black tights and an oversized blue jumper that can only belong to Caleb, with strappy black heels and a big statement necklace. Emily is in the armchair, dressed in burgundy skinny jeans, a white-washed denim shirt with a black vest underneath, a pair of black army boots and her dad's dog tags around her neck.

"We have," Dr Sullivan says. "That is not what this is about. We're just going to wait on Spencer."

Just then, Spencer rushes in. She has clearly just come from the gym – her hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail and she is wearing only a sports bra and a pair of cropped yoga pants with her neon blue trainers, and she is sweating a lot. "Sorry I'm late," she says anxiously. "What's going on, Dr Sullivan?"

"Sit down, girls," she says and they do so quickly. "Listen, your parents decided that I should be the one to tell you this. The police think they have caught your kidnapper."

"What?" Aria says, almost slipping to the floor. She glances around at the other girls, who all look similarly aghast, and then to Dr Sullivan, who looks tired.

"Who is it?" Spencer whispers. "Do we know him?"

"Yes," Dr Sullivan says. "I'm sorry, girls, but they believe it's Wren Kingston."

"What?!" they all gasp.

"No, it can't be," Hanna says. "We spent Thanksgiving with him."

"He was engaged to Spencer's sister," Emily says.

"I…I kissed him?" Spencer says breathlessly. "This isn't happening. Aria, tell her this isn't right."

"Has he confessed?" Aria asks, ignoring the other girls. "What evidence have the police charged him with?"

"You're not going to like it," Dr Sullivan says. "But he has confessed. He returned to the bunker and the police followed him to a locked room where they found all the evidence they needed. Years and years of photos and souvenirs."

"Oh God," Spencer says. "So he was the one who…?"

"Yes," Dr Sullivan says. "They believe he was the one who kidnapped Alison too."

"I need to understand," Aria says. "I don't understand this at all and I need to. I want to see him."

"Aria, that is not a good idea," Dr Sullivan says. "I'm afraid confronting him now he has confessed will do you more harm than good, all of you. He is…he's not well."

"He put us through hell," Spencer shouts, furious. "He doesn't get to be not well – he's a psychopath and we deserve answers."

"Girls, if you are sure about this, I will try and arrange a meeting," Dr Sullivan says. "But I really must recommend-"

"I'm sorry, Dr Sullivan, but we have chosen to disregard your recommendation," Hanna says sharply. "When can we see him?"

"Let me call the police station," Dr Sullivan says reluctantly.

* * *

"Girls, he's cuffed," the police chief says. "We have armed guards on every door; if he makes any move to hurt you, we will be there to stop him. Do you have any questions?"

"I don't want you to listen," Aria says. "None of what is said in there should be recorded or listened to or be used in court. This isn't about sending him down, this is just for us."

"But, Miss Montgomery," he begins but they cut him off with four level stares. "Very well. I'll remove all the recording equipment before you start and I'll make sure the speakers in here stay off. That's a promise."

"Thank you," Spencer says. They wait for a couple more minutes before he nods to them and they file into the room, dropping into seats opposite their captor. Wren Kingston is almost unrecognisable from the suave sophisticated man they met only a few months ago. Since his arrest a few days ago, he has grown a scraggly beard, his clothes are torn and scruffy like he's been running through woods, and his eyes have a slightly deranged look in them. Nevertheless, as he surveys them all, his face breaks into a wide smile and he gives a hearty chuckle. Hanna stifles a sob behind her hand and Emily drops her gaze, but Aria and Spencer meet his eyes determinedly.

"It's so nice to see you girls again," Wren says charmingly. "We had such fun last time we met, didn't we?"

"Did we?" Spencer says sarcastically. "I guess someone forgot to tell us that."

"Ah, there's that lovely sense of humour I love so much," Wren says. "Aria, you look simply beautiful. You always were my favourite."

"I'm flattered," Aria says dryly. "I've got to be honest, Wren, we didn't come here to exchange pleasantries."

"Of course you didn't," Wren says. "You came to carry on the game. Much more fun with five players, don't you think?"

"We'll see," Spencer says. "I do think you should take a few turns though – you're playing catch up after all."

"That seems fair," Wren says. "So you ask away, I'll be as honest as you four always were."

"You kidnapped Ali when she was just 10 years old," Aria says sharply. "Why?"

"Ooh, a nice easy one to start," Wren says, practically beaming now. "How old would you say I am? At a guess?"

"I don't know," Hanna says. "27?"

"Nice try, but no," Wren says. "I'm 30. I was 22 when Alison 'disappeared'. I was actually about halfway through med school and I was having an affair with Jessica DiLaurentis."

"What?!" Emily gasped, almost slipping out of her seat.

"Now now," Wren says soothingly. "No need to look quite so shocked. I'm a good looking young man and it's not like Jessica was picky about who she had her affairs with. She cheated on her husband with more men than I count."

"That's concerning for a doctor," Spencer says, rolling her eyes.

"Or it says something about how slutty she was," Wren says, the humour dropping out of his voice for the first time. They all watch him warily, waiting for him to crack, but he simply pauses for a moment and then resumes his story with a fresh bounce. "Her daughter Alison was an extremely bright young woman," he says. "As the four of you all were. Well, maybe not Hanna, but the rest of you. She knew her mother was unfaithful and she knew who I was. We got on exceedingly well and when Jessica dumped me for an architect, it was easy enough to persuade Alison to come away with me. She thought it was a game at first, and when she started asking to go home, I told her that her parents didn't want her anymore."

"You kept her in that…that place?" Hanna says incredulously. "For 8 years?! And she didn't try to run away?"

"No," Wren says, surprised. "She loved me! She loved it down there. At first I was like the cool big brother she never had." Aria looks mildly offended at this comment and Wren laughs. "Apologies, Aria, I forgot how fond you are of young Jason. But the two of them were too close in age for him to have the same impact."

"Did you hurt her?" Emily says nervously.

"Hurt her?!" Wren looks aghast now. "I was very fond of her – I would never have hurt her. Anyway, when she was about 15, 16 maybe, our relationship changed. My life was consumed by her – with that and my qualifications, I didn't have time for dating. And she was maturing and changing and discovering her body and our relationship became physical."

"So you raped her?" Spencer says, disgust dripping from her every word.

"I did not rape her!" Wren shouts, suddenly furious. "How dare you suggest such a thing? She wanted it! She wanted me! She loved me!"

"If she loved you, why did she run away?" Aria says, shooing the guards who have come into the room.

"I grew to love her," Wren says. "And one day, she asked if she could just go outside for a few minutes. It had been so long since she had seen a tree or the sun and I…I couldn't say no. So I took her outside and I took my eyes off her for a minute – just a minute – but then she was gone. I guess she wandered off, but I started to look for her instantly."

"When was this?" Emily asks anxiously.

"End of July?" Wren guesses. "I looked for her for a month and couldn't find her anywhere. Then I realised that she'd want to come back to Rosewood so I got myself transferred to the hospital here and I started to set up links. I began dating Melissa – I knew she was your sister and I figured she might contact her old friends given that her parents were no longer in the area." He turns to Aria with a cheeky grin and says, "If I'd known you were into older guys, I would have gone for you instead, Aria."

"Again – I'm flattered," Aria says, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, I waited and I waited but received no hint that she was back in the area until the weekend before Thanksgiving," Wren says. "I saw her on some CCTV near the town centre and I went straight there. But by the time I got there…she was already dead." The word gets strangled in his throat and he stifles a couple of broken sobs. "I didn't kill her."

"Did you bury her?" Hanna asks icily – none of them feel any sympathy for this man.

"I did," Wren says. "But whole, I swear. Somebody must have gone back after the event and chopped her up and…"

"Okay," Aria says, suddenly tearful. "That doesn't even begin to explain why you did what you did to us."

"I wasn't going to," Wren says. "I swear I wasn't. Alison liked you girls and I was really excited to meet you. And then on Thanksgiving… you didn't even mention her. It was like she'd never existed. She'd just died and you weren't even grieving!"

"We didn't know she was dead on Thanksgiving!" Spencer shouts furiously.

"I know," Wren says calmly. "And that's what I told myself. She had been missing for 8 years, you couldn't think about her every second of every day. But she used to be your best friend, surely you thought about her sometimes, right? So I broke into your bedrooms."

"You did what?!" Emily gasps. "What the hell? You absolute pervert!"

"It wasn't like that," Wren says. "I wanted to find evidence that the four of you still thought about Alison every day."

"And did you?" Hanna asks, biting her nails anxiously.

"No," Wren says. "I went to yours first, Hanna, and found nothing. No clothes of hers, no pictures, nothing. Same with Spencer. I found one picture of Alison tucked under Emily's mattress. Just one."

"What about me?" Aria says in a small voice.

"I didn't think there was anything," Wren says. "Honestly, I was about to give up when I found your diary. And it was beautiful, Aria. Aria, for the rest of you, writes to Alison every night about everything that happens. But not just in a 'Dear Alison' kinda way, in a 'I think you would think this' or a 'I remember when…' way. She made sure she remembered. That's when you became my favourite."

"Great," Aria says sarcastically.

"Anyway, the rest of you didn't show any sign of missing her," Wren says. "They found her body and you played the roles of grieving friends perfectly, but I knew it wasn't real. And I knew you had to be punished for it. That's when I buried those dolls and I sent the texts."

"Why did you ask us to get rid of the cops if you were just going to knock them out anyway?" Spencer asks furiously.

"I wanted you to know it was coming," Wren says. "I wanted you to be terrified. It made it so much easier. There was just one thing I wasn't banking on."

"Me getting knocked up?" Aria guesses.

"Exactly," Wren says. "Have you told your parents about that little mishap, Aria?"

"I have," Aria says, staring him down calmly.

"Good girl," Wren says. "See that's what this was really all about. This all started because Jessica DiLaurentis kept me a secret. Secrets destroy lives, girls, and you needed to understand that. You were too young to have such big secrets."

"Our secrets weren't…" Hanna trails off at his disapproving look.

"A slutty shoplifter with bulimia of all things," he says, eyes swivelling to each of the girls in turn. "A closeted lesbian. A drug addict with a nasty habit of stealing her sister's boyfriends. And the Homecoming Queen who got herself knocked up by her Lit teacher. None of you are angels and I'd appreciate it if you didn't pretend to be so."

"Fine," Aria says. "We keep secrets and we lie and we're not perfect, but _you_. You are a psychopath and a paedophile. You've deluded yourself into thinking that Alison was in love with you to make yourself feel better about the fact that you kidnapped her and you forced her to have sex with you. You tortured us for no reason other than the fact that we didn't miss her every second of the day."

Wren blinks at her, mildly offended, and then continues as if she hasn't spoken. "So you got pregnant. And everything was already arranged, with the game and the shocks and the cells – it was such a shame that you had to ruin it. So we played for a little while and then you had the miscarriage."

"Yes," Aria says, her eyes brimming with angry tears.

"I knocked the girls out and I kept you in the hospital for two days until you were fully recovered," he says. "Despite what you may think, Aria, I'm not a monster. I didn't want you to die. I just wanted you to feel the same pain I felt when Ali died."

"We all felt that pain right from the start, you idiot," Spencer says. "You didn't need to hurt us. Just because we didn't have tokens in our bedrooms doesn't mean we didn't love her."

"And then you escaped me," Wren says, in a trance now. "You left me like she did. I wanted to get you back at first. But then I realised that nothing would fill the void Ali had left in my life. I grew depressed and then sloppy and that's when the police caught me. The game is over. You win."

"We didn't win," Emily says. "We weren't playing, Wren, these are our lives and you've mangled them beyond all recognition. The real winner is whoever killed Ali."

"You believe it wasn't me?" Wren says, desperation springing onto his face for the first time.

"I think so," Spencer says. "I believe you loved her, whatever other delusions you conjured. I can't believe you would have done that to her."

"I didn't," Wren says, sagging with relief. "What will happen to me now?"

"Hopefully you'll be locked up for a very long time," Aria says icily. "Whatever reasoning you try and provide, you kidnapped 5 people and tortured them. You had sex with a minor, you blackmailed people, you have a list of crimes as long as my arm. I want to see you suffer."

"Aria, please," Wren says. "You're my favourite, you've always been my favourite."

"I don't care," she spits in his face. "You took my best friend from her home and you hurt her. You let us rebuild our lives and then you tore them apart again and you hurt every single one of my family and friends. You are not somebody I can forgive. I hope you rot in a cell."

"Spencer, please," Wren begs, turning to her. "We had a connection, you know we did. _You_ kissed _me_."

"And that fact makes me feel physically sick," Spencer says. "You hurt my sister when you did that and then you hurt me and my friends as well. I'm with Aria – I do not forgive you."

"Emily, Hanna," Wren pleads. "I took good care of Ali, I promise. I never told anybody your secrets."

"You hurt us to get them though, didn't you?" Hanna snarls.

"I was just interested," Wren says, backpedalling frantically. "Please, girls, I did it for you."

"We didn't ask you to," Emily snaps. "We never asked you to help us, we didn't want your help! I've heard enough of your pathetic snivelling – you are not forgiven and if there is any justice in the world, you will be punished for what you did."

Wren stares at them all for a moment and then absolutely lets rip. "IF JUSTICE IS COMING TO ANYONE, IT'S GOING TO BE YOU!" he screams, losing all control and becoming the crazed psychopath that lay just beneath the surface of his calm façade. 'YOU ARE ALL LIARS AND CHEATS AND WHORES AND YOU WILL BE PUNISHED! THE DAY OF RECKONING WILL SOON BE UPON US AND YOU WILL ALL BE PUNISHED!"

"Oh my God," Aria says, pulling the others away from the table.

Spencer starts to hammer on the door, screaming, "Get us out of here! Please!" Hanna and Emily quickly join her but Aria keeps her eyes trained on Wren, who has stopped screaming as abruptly as he started.

"You will suffer," Wren says. "No secrets stay buried forever, Aria. You know that."

"I don't have any secrets left," Aria says. "I'm not scared of you any more, Wren."

"Oh you should be," Wren says. "You didn't really think I'd let myself get captured that easily, do you?"

"What does that mean?" Spencer says, turning away from the door.

"I am always in control, Spencer," he says confidently. "Always. I filtered a gas through the air conditioning system in this building – everywhere except this room. The same one I used to knock you out actually."

"What are you saying?" Hanna says, suddenly terrified again.

"He's saying nobody's coming, Hanna," Aria says, her eyes still on him. "Nobody can get to this room without walking through an area with the gas so until it wears off, we're trapped here. Plenty of time for whatever he's planning."

"Gold star," Wren says, beaming. "You might as well take a seat, girls – you'll be here a while."

Aria drops into a seat instantly, closely followed by Spencer. Emily and Hanna glance at each other nervously before following suit and then Wren grins. "Aria, I wonder if you would do me a favour?" he says lightly.

"Unlikely but you can ask," Aria says coolly.

"Let me rephrase," Wren says. "I'm going to have sex with you. You can undo my handcuffs and make it easier on yourself, or you can refuse and watch me rape one of your friends instead."

Aria loses her composure for a moment now, her mouth dropping open. She glances at her friends, who all shake their heads furiously, and then sighs, getting up again. "How do I undo them?" she asks. "Emily's the lock picker of the group."

"I have a key," he says. "It's in my pocket. Will you grab it for me?" Aria glances hopelessly at her friends again and then gets the key out and undoes the handcuffs. "Ah," he says, flexing his wrists happily. "That's much better. Thank you, sweetheart."

"If you think we're going to let you touch her, you've got another thing coming," Hanna says furiously, but before she can move, his hand flies out and he slaps her around the face. She goes shooting to the floor and lies there for a moment, unmoving. Spencer and Emily kneel beside her anxiously, but Aria doesn't move, frozen with fear.

"I don't remember giving you the option, Hanna," Wren says coldly. "Have I made myself clear?"

"We are _not_ going to let you rape her," Spencer says and Wren raises his hand again, but Aria springs in between them.

"Enough," she says desperately. "It's me you want, Wren, right? I'm the one you want – these others are just spare parts. After all, me and you, we're the only ones who really, I mean _really,_ loved Ali, right? They say they did but they didn't, not like we did."

"Exactly," Wren says, a relieved smile forming on his face.

"So just let them go, eh?" Aria says. "Me and you, we'll stay here. But we don't need them here to watch us, right?"

"I suppose you're right," Wren says. "Who needs them, right?"

"Right," Aria says, giving a fake laugh.

"Aria, don't do this," Spencer pleads. "You don't have to. There are four of us and only one of him, we can take him."

"Stay out of this, Spence," Aria says, her voice cold even as it shakes and her eyes fill with tears. "This is between the people who actually loved Ali."

"I knew you'd come around, Aria," Wren says, striding forwards and forcing her to kiss him. The girls watch in horror as the tears start to stream down her face but she doesn't try to fight him off.

"Just let them go," she whispers to him.

"Anything for you, love," he says, kissing her forehead and then pulling another key out of his pocket. He unlocks one of the doors and shoves the three girls, locking it behind them and leaving him alone in a room with Aria.

* * *

"Aria?!" Spencer says, as soon as she wakes up. She looks around – Hanna and Emily are beside her and just down the hall are three police officers, all still unconscious. She gets straight to her feet and tries the door of the room they kept Wren in. It opens and she walks in, scanning it anxiously.

There, curled up in the corner, is Aria. She is completely naked and covered in bruises, especially on her hips and around her neck. She has cum in her hair, on her boobs and in a small pool on the floor where it is dripping out of her pussy and her ass. She has blood all up her inner thighs and she is staring into space like she can't quite believe what's happened. Spencer can only stare for a few moments, so horrified by what her friend went through to protect her.

Just then, Hanna, Emily and a couple of police officers come running into the room. "Oh my God," one of the men says. "What the fuck happened here?"

Spencer is about to let rip but just then, Detective Wilden walks into the room, carrying a hospital gown and accompanied by three women. "Aria," he says, kneeling down beside her. "These women are going to help you now, okay? Can you get up?"

She blinks up at him and then after a couple of minutes, she says, "Ezra."

"Ezra?" Wilden says, turning to the others. "What does she mean?"

"Ezra's her boyfriend," Hanna says, backhanding tears from her face. "She wants to know if somebody's called him. I'll do it now."

"Spence?" Aria says.

"Yeah, Aria," Spencer says, joining Wilden on the floor beside her. "What can I do, babe?"

"Can you help me up?" Aria says.

"Of course," Spencer says, gesturing for the men to turn around so Aria can protect whatever modesty she has left. She helps her into the medical gown and then Emily takes the other arm and they follow the women down the corridor to what must be the rape room of the station.

"Alright, Aria, you just lie still," one of the women says. "We're just going to do some tests, give you some drugs to help the pain, okay?"

Aria nods weakly and then turns her head to look out of the window, finally starting to cry.

Less than half an hour later, the girls can hear Ezra shouting in the corridor. "Well really!" another woman says disapprovingly, but it's the first thing to make Aria react.

"Will you go and get him?" she asks Emily and Hanna quietly. "Tell him not to kick off – this is my fault."

"It absolutely is not," Spencer says furiously. "Don't ever think that, Aria, please."

"Your friend's right, Miss," the third woman says. "Okay, we've just about finished. We'll need to do an interview about what happened but that can wait until later. Hopefully your boyfriend's brought you some clothes and you can go home and get some rest."

"Okay," Aria says quietly. "Thank you for all your help." She sits up slowly and meets Spencer's eyes for the first time.

"You didn't have to do that for us," Spencer says almost silently. "We could have taken it."

"Trust me when I say that you couldn't," Aria says. "Well maybe you could, but Hanna and Emily couldn't. Besides which, I knew I could save you and I don't think I could have lived with myself if I had let it happen to you."

"It was very brave," Spencer says. "And very stupid. Aria, I'm so sorry."

"I know," Aria says. "But I don't blame you. I swear."

Just then, the door swings open and Ezra walks in, dropping to the floor beside her cot and bursting into tears. "Aria, I am so sorry," he says. "I don't know what to…how did this happen?"

"He drugged everybody," Aria says quietly. "He had keys to the doors and the handcuffs. He had everything prepared, right down to the letter. There was nothing we could have done to stop him."

"They said he…he raped you?" Ezra says, crying harder now.

"Several times," Aria says matter-of-factly. "I think I passed out around the fourth or fifth but when I woke up, he was still going. I don't even know how long it lasted, I just remember…pain."

"Oh god, Aria, why you?" Ezra says. "Was he like obsessed with you?"

"He seemed to be," Aria says. "He felt the two of us had a connection because we both loved Ali so much. I think that actually turned out to be a good thing – it meant that I could save the others from the same treatment."

"You are too brave for your own good sometimes, you know that?" he says. "What can I do, sweetheart?"

"Take me home," Aria says. "And give me a hug so I know you still love me."

"Of course I do," Ezra says, pulling her close to him. "I love you so much, Aria, and I can't even tell you how sorry I am that this has happened to you."

"He's still out there," Aria says. "I thought it would all get better once we knew who A was but now…I feel worse than ever."

"I'm so sorry," Ezra says again. "Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

"I don't understand how this happened?" Ella says. Hanna, Spencer and Emily are sitting in the Montgomery house with all their parents and partners. Caleb is by the fireplace, tapping away on his phone anxiously. Toby is on the floor by the door and Maya is sitting by Emily's feet. Mike is in the corner, red-eyed and silent, and Aria and Ezra are upstairs in her bed.

"We went in and the police said that they'd have guards on each door," Spencer says dully. "They were there, definitely for a while at least, because they came in at one point when Wren got rowdy. But then he released some gas into the air con and it knocked everybody out except for the five of us. That's when he started threatening Aria – he'd have sex with her or she could watch while he raped one of us."

"You know how compassionate Aria is," Hanna says tearfully. "There was absolutely no way in hell she was going to let him hurt any of us if she could help us. So she played him – told him that she understood, that she was the only one who understood him, that we didn't deserve to even be in the same room as them."

"Why would she say that?" Pam says incredulously.

"She was trying to protect them," Toby says. "God, she's incredible. Where on earth did she find the strength to let herself get…raped just so that her friends wouldn't be."

"He's still out there," Mike says. "If I see him, I swear to God, I'll kill him."

"Not if I get there first," Byron says furiously. "How dare he do that to my little girl? Who the hell does he think he is?"

"He said he was helping us," Emily says, choking down a sob. "That we needed to learn our lesson – he knew best.

"Oh girls," Ashley says sympathetically. "They will find him."

"You don't get it," Aria says, walking into the room. Immediately the atmosphere changes but she doesn't pause, continuing, "The police never found him. He handed himself in because he wanted that. It played out exactly as he hoped it would. He let himself be found so that he could get the recognition that he wanted from us. Then he pretended that he was defeated so that our guards would drop, we would think we had the upper hand, and then he preyed on my weakness to get exactly what he wanted. He never intended to go to prison for this. He's always three steps ahead."

"God, this is so bad," Hanna says anxiously. "What do we do now?"

"I'm done messing around," Aria says. "Whatever we do to try and recover from this, he is gonna throw us a curveball that sets right back to where we started and I'm not going to waste my time on it anymore. I'm done. I'm fine and I'm going back to school."

"Aria, I really don't think-" Byron begins, but she cuts him off with a sharp look.

"I don't care," Aria says. "All we've done is think and guess and try and reason this out and none of it works. I just want to graduate so that I can get my ass out of Rosewood as fast as humanly possible."

* * *

"Good morning, Aria," Dr Sullivan says. "So you've been back to school this week – how has that been?"

"Fine," Aria says. "Everyone's been very nice and it's been pretty easy to just slot back in. I'm hanging out with the usual crowd, I spend my evenings with Ezra and my family, it's like it used to be."

"But in reality, everything's changed," Dr Sullivan says. "Have you spoken to the police yet?"

"I've driven there everyday," Aria replies. "I just can't bring myself to go in."

"That's perfectly understandable," Dr Sullivan says. "You've been through quite an ordeal, Aria; nobody expected you to bounce back from this so quickly."

"I don't think I've bounced back," Aria says. "But he watches us all the time and I don't want him to see me upset."

"Aria," Dr Sullivan begins but Aria is on a roll now and she doesn't pause.

"Plus I'm worried that Ezra will break up with me," Aria says. "I mean, I practically begged another man to fuck me – it's my fault."

"No," Dr Sullivan says. "It is not. You asked him to spare your friends which is an incredibly brave and noble thing to do. I'm not sure I would have done the same. But that man raped you and no blame can be placed at your door. Aria, Ezra adores you. I've never seen any man look at a woman the way he looks at you. Sometimes I worry that he loves you so much you're a danger to his health."

"Do you think he loves me more than I love him?" Aria asks quietly.

Dr Sullivan pauses, assessing her silently. "No," she says eventually. "You and Ezra are very deeply in love – any feelings are mutual and just as strong. The problem you have is that you feel very strongly for everybody. I mean, you just let yourself get raped to protect your friends, Aria. You are something very special."

"I…I don't know what I was thinking," Aria says. "I think I assumed he was still the man I knew, somewhere in there, you know? Like the Wren I met at Thanksgiving was gentle and kind and charming, and I guess because I developed this understanding with him, I thought he would be the same way when we were having sex. But he was…an animal. A monster. I didn't even recognise him. He seemed to get off on causing me both physical and emotional pain. Like he'd stand there and he'd shove his dick inside me and he'd put his hands around my neck and squeeze as tight as he could without killing me and then he'd talk to me about how he'd done the same to Alison and I just…it was worse than anything I went through in that bunker. I thought A would be less scary once he wasn't this faceless demon anymore but Wren…I thought I knew him. And that made me think, like who else don't I know, you know? What if Mona did do it? What if Caleb was helping her? What if I don't know anyone?"

"Aria, you can't think like that," Dr Sullivan says. "You knew Wren for what, a couple of weeks before he kidnapped you? It is not the same as Mona or Caleb or anybody else. And you know what? Wren had us all fooled. You were certainly not alone in misjudging him, okay?"

"Okay," Aria says tearfully.

"Aria, do you mind if I ask you a very personal question?" Dr Sullivan says.

"Okay," she says uncertainly. "What is it?"

"Have you and Ezra been…intimate since it happened?" she asks and now Aria's face crumples.

"He sleeps in my bed every night like he always did," Aria says. "And I kiss him every morning before I go off to school. That shocked him enough – the first time, he spilt hot tea all down his lap. But we haven't…God, what if we can never do it again?"

"Aria, I really don't think-" Dr Sullivan begins.

"Ezra and I were such a physical couple, honestly," Aria says. "Like tearing each other's clothes off any chance we got, screwing at least twice a day. And then after last time, it took us a while to get back to a place where we were comfortable with each other again. But now…every time he touches me, I worry I'm going to see Wren's face. And Ezra doesn't deserve that. God, he doesn't deserve any of this. He deserves a lovely girl who lives a normal life."

"Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't," Dr Sullivan says. "But he chose you. And he will understand. If you like, I can recommend a relationship counsellor to help the two of you work through this?"

"I don't know," Aria says. "I think Ezra and I, we just need to…"

"Okay," Dr Sullivan says as Aria dissolves into tears. "Well we don't have to decide about that now. You just make sure you keep talking to Ezra because he will do anything for you. I think we should talk about how you feel about the truth finally coming out. You in particular were adamant that finding out the truth would bring closure to the whole kidnapping experience. Have you found that to be the case?"

"I don't think so," Aria says. "I mean obviously I feel better knowing who I'm looking for when I scan the room for threats. But I didn't count on him being so much smarter than us, than the police. He set that whole thing up. He knew we'd ask to see him, he knew we'd ask them to turn the mics off, he knew we'd ask for the security guards to be outside rather than in the room with us, he knew I'd…I'd sacrifice myself for the others. He knew _everything_ and he planned accordingly. And I don't see how we can protect ourselves against someone who knows us so well. Every move we make, he's like three steps ahead. Even when we try and be unpredictable, we're walking straight into his trap. I don't know what to do now. Like I can't see how we'll ever be safe again."

"And how do you feel about your friends?" Dr Sullivan asks.

"Do you mean do I resent them?" Aria asks, frowning. "It's something I've thought about a lot. Like obviously if they weren't there, I wouldn't have been…assaulted, but I made that decision, I didn't give them the choice. I know that if it came down to it, they'd have done the same for me and I just…I can't blame them for anything. They're victims in this just as much as I am and I really hope they don't feel guilty about what happened because it wasn't their fault. I wish I knew why Wren took such a…liking to me."

"Have you thought about why that might be?" Dr Sullivan says.

"Yeah, of course," Aria says. "I mean, Ali and I were practically twins so it makes sense he'd go for me. I'm pretty anyway, but for someone who was in love with Ali, I'm the obvious choice. Plus I guess he thought we'd have this…this connection, I guess? Because we both loved Ali. I mean, I loved her, he was obsessed, but he thinks he loved her. Whatever. I just was a little surprised because obviously he got with Spencer so I thought…I mean, I'm glad he didn't. Spencer's my best friend and she acts strong but she's extremely fragile and I don't think she would have survived this."

"Do you think you will survive this?" Dr Sullivan asks.

"I have to," Aria says fiercely. "Ali survived it for years and I couldn't help her. I'm not going to let her down now by crumbling at the first sign of trouble."

"Okay," Dr Sullivan says. "There is one more thing we need to discuss and it's something which is going to require more strength than anyone should be asking of you right now."

"What is it?" Aria asks anxiously.

"The police are releasing a warrant for Wren's arrest," Dr Sullivan says. "It's now a federal issue which is the FBI's number one priority, but in order to get people out there to help us find him, we need to…they want to release details of what he did to the press. The kidnapping and the more recent attack. Of course they won't name names but it won't be hard for them to work it out and then you may receive a lot of…unwanted publicity."

"Great," Aria says, rolling her eyes. "Just what I need, more eyes on me."

"I know, Aria, I understand," Dr Sullivan says. "But finding Wren and locking him up really has to be the priority. None of you can move on until that's happened."

"Mhmm," Aria says. "Can I go now, Dr Sullivan? I have homework."

"Alright, Aria," Dr Sullivan says. "I'll see you Tuesday?"

"Yep," Aria says, smiling weakly. "Thanks."


	16. Chapter 16

Six weeks later, all four girls return to school after Spring Break. They flew down to Barbados with Ezra, Caleb, Toby and Maya, and spent three blissful weeks in utter peace. Today though, they are thrown back into the fray.

They arrive together, looking more like a squad of supermodels than a gang of schoolgirls. Sun-bleached hair and tanned skin, they look like the ordeal of the last term never happened to them and they walk down the corridors, still the most popular girls in school. They laugh and they joke and they catch up with friends and until the lunch bell rings, it is like old times.

At lunch, the four of them sit out in the courtyard. Aria lounges on one of the tables, tapping away on her phone lazily. Beside her, Spencer scans a Chemistry textbook idly, trying to get a head-start on this semester's material. Emily arrives late from swim practice and seems more interested in her meal than anything else while Hanna looks at herself in a compact, occasionally taking out an eyeliner pencil or concealer and touching up her make-up.

"Did Ezra stay at yours last night?" she asks Aria, who looks up with a vague interest.

"Yeah," Aria says. "Now that we're over the little…sex speedbump as I call it, he feels much better about staying with me."

"So is it all okay now?" Emily asks, her mouth completely full.

"Nah, not every time," Aria says. "You know what it's like with the PTSD. You'll be going about your life completely fine and then some tiny little trigger and you're having a panic attack. It's the same with this. Sometimes Ezra will touch me in a certain way or say something and I just completely shut down. It's not his fault and it's not mine and usually I'm okay, but it just…it takes a while, you know?"

"Yeah," Spencer says sympathetically. "It's good that you're mostly fine though. Are you still seeing Sullivan?"

"Yeah, like twice a week I think," Aria says. "What about you guys?"

"She said she wants to take me down to once a week," Emily says. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for that though, I still feel like I need someone to talk to."

"That's what I said to her," Hanna says, finally putting away her compact. "She said that it's important I feel comfortable talking to the people I love, like Caleb or my mom or you guys. She said she understood it was difficult because we're all struggling, but she wants us to try and open up to each other too."

"I don't think we have a problem with that," Spencer says. "God, I don't know, I'll see how I get on this afternoon. Hanna, did you hear that Sean has gone away to boarding school?"

"Yeah, we spoke on the phone last night," Hanna says. "Apparently his parents don't think Rosewood is safe anymore. I can't blame them to be honest, but I wish they'd let him finish out the year. It's only, what, 5 more weeks?"

"I'm surprised he had to go to school at all," Emily says. "I've got all my credits already – have you guys?"

"Yeah," Aria says. "I think I might have like one more presentation in a Lit module, but apart from that, I'm ready to graduate."

"Same," Spencer says. "It's a shame for him, he almost lasted the full 14 years."

"Do you know what the school was, Han?" Emily asks.

"I can't remember," Hanna says. "But Noel and the boys are coming over, you can ask them."

"Ooh where?" Aria says, pushing up onto one elbow and looking right at Noel. He grins broadly, opens his arms and practically falls on top of her, hugging her tightly.

"Hey, baby," he says, kissing both cheeks and her forehead. "I missed you over vacation! How was Barbados?"

"Fine thank you," Aria laughs as she hugs Zac and Ben, before they sit down and start chatting to the others. "How was your holiday, babe?"

"Great," Noel says, sitting down at the chair by her feet. "You missed some banging parties."

"I've missed a _lot_ of banging parties, dude," she says. "I need to get back out there – when's the next one?"

"Whenever you want, man," Noel says. "Listen, this is James – he's just transferred here to fill Sean's spot on the football team."

"Oh hey," Aria says brightly, shooting him a charming smile before she turns back to Noel. "What the hell happened with Sean?"

"I don't know, titch," Noel says, winking as she shoves him playfully. "I guess after everything that's happened in this town, with Ali and then everything that happened to you, his parents just thought better safe than sorry."

"Yeah," Aria says. "Fair enough. Where did you say you transferred from, James?"

"An academy in Harrisburg," James says. "It's a tiny school, you probably wouldn't know it. We certainly didn't have girls like you where I was from."

"What does that mean?" Aria laughs.

"Beautiful," he says smoothly and Aria rolls her eyes.

"Well thank you, but I have a boyfriend," Aria replies lightly. "And a lot of baggage. I'm surprised you haven't already heard to be honest. It's quite the tale."

"I'd like to hear it sometime," James says, grinning.

"Then you'll have to ask somebody else," Aria says sharply. She turns away from him and towards the girls. "Spence? I'm going to call Ezra; I'll see you in Calc." She hurries away and the other three girls turn on him furiously.

"What on earth did you say to her?" Hanna says icily. "Don't come near us again, got it?" They all spring up and hurry after Aria, throwing dirty looks at James before they go. He turns to the boys, astonished, and asks, "What the hell was that all about?"

"You don't know our town, man," Noel says. "We've had a rough ride of it, particularly our year group. When we were like 9 or 10, one of our own was kidnapped. Around Thanksgiving last year, they found her body. She'd been held hostage for 8 whole years. Those four girls there were her best friends and just after they found her, they were taken too. They were tortured for about three months and escaped in January. Early March, kidnapper hands himself in and it turns out it was Spencer, the tall brunette with the textbook, it was her sister's ex boyfriend. They go to the police to talk to him, to try and get some closure, and he drugs everybody and rapes and tortures Aria right there in the cell and then he escapes. Meanwhile, Hanna, the blonde, Hanna's best friend has been arrested for murdering the other girl – it was only after Aria told the police that the kidnapper had confessed to planting evidence that they let her go and she and her family moved to Montana over the holidays."

"Is this like the plot of a movie or something?" James asks, frowning.

"No, this is our lives," Noel says. "They've been through hell but they're finally putting themselves back together and they don't need you messing them up again. Got it?"

"Got it," James says, holding his hands up defensively. "So what happened to the kidnapper?"

"Vanished," Noel shrugs. "We get reported sightings every now and again, but nobody's really seen him since he attacked Aria."

"What happened to the girl's family?" James asks. "Her parents, any siblings?"

"Her parents moved away with their son, Jason," Noel says. "He was a few years older than us – he's just moved back to town. He's best friends with Aria. I sort of thought they'd get together, but since those four are all coupled up, he has to make do with being third wheel on all their outings."

"They're all coupled up?" James asks. "With who?"

"Hanna has a boyfriend," Noel says, scanning the courtyard. "Ah, there he is. You see that long-haired boy with the laptop and the beanie? He and Hanna have been going out since a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Spencer has a boyfriend too, but he doesn't go to school here anymore. He's got a job as a carpenter, I think? Nice bloke actually, he had a bit of a bad rep in junior high though and the 'rents sent him to military school."

"Whoa, that's hard-core," James says.

"Yeah, you wouldn't know it to look at him though," Noel says, grinning. "Don't think it really did the job. Um…oh, there's Maya. You see that dark-skinned girl with the nose piercing? That's Emily's girlfriend – Em's the athletic looking one."

"What about Aria?" James asks, glancing around. "Is her boyfriend here?"

"Nah," Noel says. "He's a bit of a scandal actually. He was a teacher here the first semester of this year, a Lit teacher. Then Aria goes missing, he mysteriously resigns and less than 30 seconds after she gets back, they're a couple. He's like 24, 25 maybe? He seems like a perfectly lovely bloke and he absolutely adores her, but it's sort of an open secret that they were dating while he was still a teacher here."

"Okay, now I know you're having me on," James says. " _Her_? Date a teacher?"

"Absolutely," Noel says. "They're always out on dates together, they just went on holiday together – they're actually extremely well matched. And like I say, he's so in love with her and she loves him just as much. After she got back, he stayed at her house for like a month. And when she first came back to school, she had like a major breakdown because of her PTSD and he came running and we watched him literally carry her out of school. He'd do anything to protect her."

"Wow, that's…intense, right?" James says. "They're so young."

"But they've suffered a lot," Noel says. "Honestly, I'd be surprised if anything could tear them apart now. They've survived the worst."

* * *

"Morning," Aria says, walking into the kitchen. Spencer, Hanna, Emily and Ezra are sitting at the kitchen table, each with a full plate of pancakes in front of them. "This is a nice surprise. What are you all doing here?"

"This is an intervention," Spencer says.

"An intervention?" Aria laughs. "What for?"

"Aria, this isn't a joke," Hanna says. "You've been pretending that you're okay for a very long time and we've been patient with you but we're not going to sit by any more. Aria, you haven't made any plans for the future since all this started."

"We get that at first you were getting through it day by day," Emily says. "But you're graduating in like six weeks and then what are you going to do? You haven't applied for any jobs or to any colleges."

"I've had a lot going on," Aria says. "I wasn't…I've had a lot going on. But I've been thinking about it and I'm not ready to go to college. I need time to get myself back together, to be able to look at my phone without flinching or sleep with the lights off or…God, I don't know. But until I can do the little things, I don't think I can do the big ones."

"So what are you going to do?" Ezra asks, pulling her onto his lap.

"Well I haven't talked to you about this," Aria says. "And I was going to, I swear, but everything's just been so hectic since we got back from Barbados that I haven't had the chance. But my gran died a couple of years ago and left me a nice lump sum in her will. I was thinking about taking some of it out of my savings and going travelling."

"What?!" the four of them say in unison.

"I can't stay in Rosewood," Aria says. "I just can't. And there's so much in the world that I want to see. I was going to ask you to come along, babe – you could do some teaching along the way, we could see the world together, we could… I don't know, it was just a thought."

"Aria," Ezra says, looking deep into her eyes. "I can't think of anything more perfect than travelling the world with you. I would love to."

"Good," she says. "Well that's something the two of us can plan in our own time. So thank y'all for your concern but I am fine. Honestly."

"Good," Spencer says. "We do worry about you, little one."

"I know," Aria says. "And I worry about you too. What have you all got planned anyways? I can't be the only one without my life together."

"Sorry," Hanna says. "I'm going to the Institute of Fashion – it's all arranged."

"Yeah, I finally got my acceptance to UPenn," Spencer says. "Luckily, because I don't think my parents could have taken the rejection on top of the fact that my sister and I both made out with a guy who turned out to be a kidnapping rapist."

"Alright, Spencer," Ezra says warningly, but Aria laughs along with the other girls. "What about you, Emily?"

"Somehow I managed to keep my cheers up," Emily says. "I guess all that fleeing for our lives really helped keep me fit. Anyway, I have a cheerleading scholarship at Stamford."

"Oh my God, Em," Aria says. "Guys, that's all so great! You've really got it all sorted and I…I don't know what I want to do."

"I've been thinking about that," Ezra says. "And it's something you'd all need to be on board for, but something that would really utilize your talents. And I understand if you think it's dumb or if you think it would be too hard, but I just think it would be such a good opportunity and I-"

"Ezra," Aria laughs, cupping his face soothingly. "What is it?"

"I think you should write a book," Ezra says bluntly and her mouth falls open.

"What?!" Aria says.

"A book about what happened to you," Ezra says. "Starting from the beginning up to right now. The truth about how kidnapping affects your life, before, during and after. People would lap it up, Aria – it would set you up to be comfortable and then you could do anything you ever wanted."

"I think it's a good idea," Spencer says. "Plus, we could put pictures and drawings – the more public we go with this story, the less chance Wren has of hurting us again."

"You'd have to be careful," Emily says. "We've all got things that could get us into real trouble if written down, not least of which the fact that you were sleeping with your teacher while all this was going on. We'd all need to read it and remove the incriminating bits."

"Yeah, of course," Hanna says. "But, Aria, you're a brilliant writer. And it's such a…it's a real story. If you don't tell it, somebody else will."

"I don't…maybe you're right," Aria says uncertainly. "I have a lot of it written down already, in my diaries. It might not be that hard to put something together."

"Okay," Ezra says, smiling encouragingly. "There is one thing you need to do though, and it's before you start anything."

"What's that?" Aria asks, her mind already whirring.

"You need to talk to Mr and Mrs DiLaurentis," Ezra says. "And Jason. You have to get their permission before you do anything."

"Okay," Aria says. "I will. But there's no rush, guys. Let's just get through graduation."

"There's something else we need to discuss first," Hanna says.

"What's that?" Emily says.

"Are we going to prom?" Hanna says.

"Of course we're going to prom," Aria squeals. "Are you kidding me, Han? You've got to win Prom Queen!"

"If anyone's going to win Prom Queen, it's going to be you," Hanna says. "But I take your point. In which case, it's only six weeks away and I don't even have a dress yet."

"Okay," Aria laughs. "We'll all go shopping in Philadelphia tomorrow, okay? Have you thought about colours yet?"

"Ugh," Ezra says. "Now I'm bored. I'm going to the loo."

"Alright," Aria says, kissing him lightly. "Han, any ideas?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about a sort of champagne colour," Hanna begins, but before she can get any further, her phone pings violently.

"Don't go to prom," Spencer reads aloud. "A."

For a moment nobody speaks and then Aria snorts loudly. "His threats are getting worse, huh?" she says, chuckling. "No 'or else' this time, huh Wren?"

"This might not even be Wren," Emily says, grinning. "Since that news report went out, I've been getting all sorts of fake A messages. 'Show me your boobs or else', that kind of thing. Chances are this is from Courtney Holt, desperate to win Prom Queen."

"Probably," Hanna laughs. "Anyway, I was thinking champagne, or cream maybe? Something very pale, that's all I'm saying."

* * *

"Welcome, welcome," Vice Principal Tamborelli says brightly as the four girls walk up the red carpet. Aria is in the lead, wearing a sparkly black fishtail dress, which hugs her curves tightly, paired with red stilettos and her hair in long dark waves. She is clinging to Ezra's arm and laughing happily as he leads her to the photographer, dressed very smartly in a black tuxedo. Behind them, Hanna is wearing a champagne dress which pinches in at the waist and then flows out around her legs. She has paired it with killer nude heels and a flower crown and she is holding onto Caleb, who is dressed up for once in a smart black suit and is grinning broadly at her. Emily is behind them, dressed in a dark blue dress with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. She is dragging a very happy looking Maya along beside her. Maya is dressed in a short bold orange dress and blue flats and her hair is piled up on her head in an uncharacteristically graceful bun. Finally, Spencer is bringing up the rear, dressed in a dark teal halter neck dress with a long slit up her left thigh. Toby is holding her hand and he is dressed in a sharp grey suit which he wears with pride as he escorts her inside.

"Can I be the first to say that you girls all look beautiful tonight?" Toby says as they find their table.

"Actually Ezra said it in the car ride over," Spencer says as the rest of them laugh. "But you can be second to say it babe."

"Fine then," Toby says. "But really, I'm incredibly proud of you all for getting to this point and I love you very much."

"Love you too," all of the girls say, somewhat tearful all of a sudden.

"Honestly though," Aria says, backhanding a tear from her cheek before it smudges her makeup. "This has been a bit of a hellish year."

"Understatement of the century," Caleb teases and everybody chuckles.

"Alright," Aria says. "This year has been awful, but we survived it and I don't think I would have been able to do that without all of you. You mean the world to me and I know that even though we'll be going our separate ways sooner than I would like, we'll be friends forever and that means everything. I love you all."

"You're so soppy, I love it," Ezra says, kissing her deeply.

"I love you guys," Spencer says tearfully.

"Okay enough," Maya says. "All of this talk is way too depressing. It's party time, come on! Let's dance!"

"Alright, Maya," Emily laughs, kissing her girlfriend as she drags her up onto the dance floor. Toby and Spencer follow on and soon enough Hanna has dragged Caleb out there too, so Aria and Ezra are sitting alone at the table.

"You don't dance, Mr Fitz?" Noel says, approaching with a broad grin.

"Nah," Ezra says. "Somehow that gene got lost along the way and I wouldn't want to embarrass Aria."

"You could never," Aria laughs. "You look beaut, Noel."

"Thanks, babe," Noel says. "You do too. Will you come and dance with me?"

"Maybe in a bit?" Aria says. "I don't really wanna leave Ezra right now but I'm sure it won't be long before Caleb gives up on the dancing and then I'll come."

"Alright," Noel says, bending down and kissing her on the cheek. "Good to see you Mr Fitz."

"You too, Noel," Ezra says, grinning. "Aria, you don't have to wait for me if you wanna go dance. I'll be okay."

"I know you will," Aria says, leaning in and kissing him deeply. "But I want to stay with you. At least for now."

"Alright," he says. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Alright, good dance, ladies and gentlemen," Tamborelli says. "It's now time for us to announce the winners of Prom King and Queen. First up, the winner of Prom Queen 2016 is…Rosewood's own survivor, Miss Aria Montgomery."

"Oh my God," Aria says, instantly bursting into tears. She kisses Ezra deeply, hugs all of the girls and then hurries up to the stage and is crowned Prom Queen of her Senior class. She wipes her eyes as Tamborelli announces Noel Kahn as Prom King and then he asks them if they want to say a few words. There is a moment between Noel and Aria as they silently agree what they want to say and then Aria steps forward.

"Noel and I just want to dedicate our crowns and this moment to Alison DiLaurentis, who is sorely missed," she says, choking on the words. She opens her mouth to say more but is overcome and Noel steps forward to help her out.

"Ali should be here with us tonight," Noel says. "But since she can't be, we'll party in her memory like she always loved to. Ali, you are our angel and we miss you every day. Rest in Peace. Love from the Rosewood High Class of 2016." Aria looks out into the crowd, tears streaming down her face, and sees Hanna, Spencer and Emily all holding hands as they sob. On the other side of the room, Zac and Ben have their arms around each other.

"So, to pay tribute to her tonight, we'd like to invite the survivors of the Rosewood 11 to join us on stage," Aria says. "Han, Spence, Em, come on up. Zac, Ben? Noel is Sean here?"

"Here I am," Sean says, waving his arms. "I'm coming."

"Oh thank God," Aria says gratefully. "What about Mona? Is she here?"

"Here," Mona says, making her way up to the stage. A murmur goes around the room but Aria smiles broadly.

"Yes, Mona!" she says. "And finally, Lucas? Did he make it back?"

"Yep," Lucas says, appearing at the bottom of the steps. "Here."

"Awesome," Aria says, turning back to the crowd. "We are the surviving members of the Rosewood 11, who came together at the age of 4. Our friendship has endured, as our friendship with all of you will do, but tonight we honour our fallen angel, Miss Alison DiLaurentis." All 10 of them link hands, look up to the sky and close their eyes as Aria says, "Rest in Peace, Ali. Your friends pray for you tonight."

As the crowning and the tribute comes to an end, Aria and Noel take their places on the dancefloor for the King and Queen's first dance. Aria has tears streaming down her face and so Noel just pulls her into a hug and they sway from side to side. Soon enough they are joined by Hanna and Sean, Spencer and Zac, Emily and Ben and finally Mona and Lucas. As the music comes to an end, all of the girls hurry away, overcome.

"Aria," Ezra shouts as he chases them down the corridor. "Girls, stop."

"What, Ezra?" Aria says, turning to face him tearfully.

"I just wanted to say that that was really beautiful," he says, pulling her into a hug. "What's the Rosewood 11?"

"It's not the Rosewood 11," Emily says. "It's the Rosewood 9. Aria edited it to include our entire Kindergarten class."

"Okay, fine, what's the-?" Ezra begins but Spencer cuts him off.

"Ali made it up," she explains. "Like the core of Rosewood. The 9 of us spent all of our time together and Ali thought that when we grew up, we'd rule this town. She said I was going to be Mayor."

"Of course, if she knew you now, she'd have higher hopes," Hanna teases. "Probably President Hastings."

"Of course," Spencer laughs. "Anyway, that's the Rosewood 9. It's a nickname she gave us, but it stuck all through high school too. 'Oh, look, there goes 4 of the Rosewood 9' etc."

"I just thought it was appropriate," Aria says. "But maybe it was an insult, editing it like that?"

"No," Emily says. "It was lovely, Aria. Really nice."

"Good," Aria says. "I just couldn't help thinking that if Ali were here, it would have been her wearing that crown and not me."

"Don't think like that," Spencer says. "You deserve it. You're Rosewood's queen."

"I love you guys," Aria says. "You're all my queens."

"Damn straight," Hanna says, grinning. "Or not in Emily's case."

"Thanks Hanna," Emily says, but she's laughing. "Come on, let's go tidy ourselves up and then we can go enjoy the end."

"Okay," Aria says. "Ezra, I'll meet you back in there, okay?"

"Okay," Ezra says. "Aria, I love you so much."

"I love you too," Aria says, leaning up and kissing him deeply. "Thank you for being here with me tonight."

* * *

"Ladies and gentleman, please welcome to the stage your valedictorian, Spencer Hastings," the principal says. The auditorium bursts into cheers and applause as Spencer walks up to the podium and smiles out at the crowd.

"Hands up if you thought we'd make it this far," she says clearly. One or two hands go up and a ripple of laughter echoes around the room. "Glad it's not just me then. Fact is we've had a hell of a ride, our class."

"When you're a child, they tell you about stranger danger," she continues. "Don't talk to the strange man with the van, don't follow the woman who says she'll buy you an ice-cream. They don't tell you that the people who will really hurt you are the people you love. The man your sister is dating or your best friend from yoga. They don't warn you to watch out for the people you trust most in the world. Because when you're a child, they want to protect you from everything scary. But in high school, here, together, we've learnt the truth and it's been really hard."

"I'm not going to stand here and give you advice," she says clearly. "Everything I know, you all know too and there are people here who are far better, far more worthy, of giving advice than I am. I am not going to stand here and highlight our achievements, of which there are many. It is no coincidence that we have all succeeded this year. It is a result of years of hard work and perseverance, inspired by pain and suffering and grief. Today it has all paid off. We are graduating."

"We cannot leave this place without paying tribute to our teachers and mentors," she says. "Our success is your success, for you have given us the courage to dare, the knowledge to excel, and the belief that we can succeed. You have been there for us with encouragement and care; you have had faith when we doubted ourselves and you have given support when we have suffered. You have instilled in us the self-confidence needed to reach for our dreams. So thank you from our class."

"I could look back over all our memories now," she continues. "We have a lot. Parties and debates and so much more. But I'm more interested in contemplating where we could be in the future. In this room, we could have future presidents or CEOs or artists or novelists. Whatever you do and whatever you achieve, remember us and know that we are proud of you."

"This is the beginning for most of us now," she says. "The platform for us to jump off into the unknown where we can do anything and everything. But we cannot mark this day without remembering the girl we lost. Alison DiLaurentis died this year after years of being kidnapped and tortured. She was the strongest of us, able to survive something that most of us cannot bear to think about, and we miss her every day."

"Now though, I want to say goodbye to you," Spencer finishes. "My class. My peers. My friends. You have supported me through so much and the idea that I will not see you everyday hurts me so much that I can't bear to think about it. Thank you for everything you have done to me. I would like to finish now with a quote. I wanted to find something from a great philosopher or artist, but when it came down to it, nobody ever said it like our favourite teddy bear. As Winnie the Pooh once said, 'How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.'"

She steps down from the podium and for a moment, nobody says anything. Then the crowd bursts into rapturous applause and Spencer looks out to see that most of the girls are in floods of tears. Hanna and Emily are hugging each other tightly, sobbing on each other's shoulders, while Aria is looking directly at her, tears pouring down her cheek as she waits for her best friend to rejoin her in the crowd. Spencer runs down the steps and throws her arms around Aria's neck, bursting into tears as she does so.

"Alright then," the principal says. "Let's begin the ceremony." He starts the rollcall and students file across the stage. "Ben Coogan. Toby Cavanaugh… Emily Fields…Spencer Hastings…Noel Kahn. Zac Lake. Hanna Marin. Aria Montgomery…Caleb Rivers…Maya St. Germain." The class files across the stage and then the principal says, "Ladies and gentleman, the class of 2016!" Everybody throws up their caps and Aria and Hanna and Emily and Spencer descend on each other, hugging tightly as they cry.

"What do we do now?" Aria asks. "Are we having a party?"

"Yes," Spencer says. "Noel Kahn's lake house. People are heading back to their houses to get ready and then going straight up there – it's like an all day, all night kinda thing."

"Okay," Aria says. "Listen, guys, Ezra and I are leaving tomorrow. We're flying out to London and we've sorted it with your parents so that if you want to come and spend the summer in Europe with us, you can."

"What?!" Hanna squeals. "Aria, are you serious?"

"Yeah," Aria says. "You guys and Caleb and Toby and Maya too if they want. You don't have to decide now, you can fly out and join us whenever. I'd love you to come."

"Aria, that sounds…" Spencer trails off, speechless. "I'm in."

"Good," Aria says, beaming. "Em? I get if you wanna talk to Maya or…?"

"Nah," Emily says. "I'm on board."

"Me too," Hanna says. "100%."

"Great," Aria says. "Right, let's go back to mine and get ready to party!"

"Wait, I need to find Caleb," Hanna says, spinning around on the spot.

"Yeah, Toby should be here somewhere," Spencer says, scanning the crowds.

"Where's Maya?" Emily says anxiously. "God, there's so many people here."

"Is someone screaming?" Aria says, frowning. "That doesn't sound like a scream of excitement. It sounds like a scream of-"

"Terror," Spencer finishes as a gunshot rings out through the auditorium.

"Are you joking?" Hanna sighs, as people scatter, screaming, and more gunshots are fired. "Is that Wren?"

"It must be," Aria says, panicked. "We have to find him."

"Are you kidding me?" Emily says. "He's got a gun, Aria – he'll kill us."

"And if we don't find him, he'll kill all of our friends," Aria says. "We _have_ to find him."

"What, so he can kidnap us again?" Hanna laughs bitterly. "I don't think so. We're getting out of here."

"We're helping our friends," Aria says.

"No," Emily says. "Aria, you're not the boss of us. I'm out of here."

"I'm coming," Hanna says and then they're gone.

"Aria, I'm sorry," Spencer says. "We don't even know if it's him."

"I know," Aria says. "But I can't take the chance that it is. I couldn't live with the guilt."

"None of this is your fault," Spencer says. "Please, just come with me now."

"I can't," Aria says. "I have to find Wren. Go, Spence. Run and hide – make sure everyone else is okay."

Spencer looks at her for one last moment and then disappears into the crowd as Aria heads up onto the stage. "Wren," she says into the microphone and everybody freezes, staring at her as if they can't believe what she's doing. "Wren, are you here?"

"Yo," he says, stepping forward and waving the gun in the air. "Hey, babe. Long time, no see."

"Yes," Aria says, appraising him. "You look well." He does actually, dressed in a sharp black suit, clean shaven and smiling.

"As do you," he says courteously. "It's really nice to see you."

"Wish I could say the same," Aria laughs. "Listen, I don't know what you want here, but I'd like it if you let my friends go. You and I, we can catch up, but not until you let them leave."

"What makes you think I'm here for you?" he says politely.

"You're always here for me," Aria says. "I'm your favourite."

"That you are," he says, grinning broadly. "Alright, Montgomery, let's talk. Let the little people go. You and I are the important ones."

"Course we are," Aria says, her eyes on Noel who is helping a bleeding Maya to her feet. "So if y'all could hurry up and give us some privacy?"

The crowds file out as Wren heads up to the stage until there are only a dozen left. Noel, Zac, Ben, Sean, Toby, Caleb, Jason, Mike and Ezra are standing in the centre of the room, where they are joined by a determined looking Spencer, Emily and Hanna.

"Aw, all my girls are here," Wren says delightedly. "The perfect setting for the end of our game. And so many little fans. You here to die for the women you love, fellas?"

"I'm not going to let you hurt them anymore," Ezra snarls.

"Ooh, big man," Wren laughs. "How are you planning on stopping me, Mr Fitz? When I have a gun and you have…?"

"There's 12 of us and only one of you," Ezra says. "I'm assuming you didn't put gas in the vents this time or…?"

"Nah," Wren says. "I thought death by gunfire would be enough."

"Well the police are on their way," Jason says. "So if you're gonna do it, you better do it quickly."

"Stop it," Aria snaps. "You're being stupid. None of you are dying for me today. Wren look at me and tell me what you want."

"I want Ali back," Wren says sadly.

"You think we don't all want that?" Spencer laughs bitterly. "We are not the enemy here, Wren, we didn't kill her."

"Somebody did," Wren snarls. "And if I can't have Ali back, then I'll take the next best thing – Aria."

"I will not let you take her," Ezra snaps. "She's not yours to take."

"I'm the man with the gun," Wren says. "I'll take whatever I want and who are you to stop me?" He turns to Aria and grins broadly. "Coming, honey? Or do I need to put a bullet in Loverboy to speed you up a little bit?"

"No," Aria says hurriedly. "No, leave Ezra alone. Leave them all alone. None of them deserve this, they haven't done anything wrong."

"Very true," Wren says. "Too bad I don't care. Let's go."

"Ezra," Aria says, turning to face him quickly. "Ezra, I love you so much. Mike, give my love to Mom and Dad, I love you. I'll see you again one day, I promise."

"Yeah, don't count on it," Wren says, grabbing her hair and pulling her towards the exit.

"No," several people shout, chasing after her, but before they get there, Wren kicks the door open and they're gone.

"Aria," Mike screams, breaking into a full sprint. There is a loud gunshot, which makes everyone freeze in their tracks, and then silence. "Oh my God, Aria," Ezra shouts, running outside. Aria is knelt on the floor with her arms locked over her head. Beside her, Wren lays prone and a few feet away, three or four armed police officers are watching him.

"Is he…is he dead?" Spencer asks as her eyes fall on his body.

"I think so," Hanna says. "Aria, babe, you alright?"

"Oh my God," Aria is saying repeatedly. "Is it over? Is it really over?"

"It's over," Ezra says, kneeling down beside her and pulling her onto his lap. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I couldn't let him hurt you," she says, looking up at all her friends. "Any of you. You are all worth dying for."

"Next time, let one of us take a turn at being the sacrifice, eh?" Jason says, kneeling down and hugging her tightly. "Just for the bant?"

"Yeah, okay," she laughs tearfully. "God, do you think we'll ever just have a normal day?"


	17. Chapter 17

"Morning dawns in Rosewood as the trial of the century begins today," a reporter says on the TV as Spencer and Emily watch the news. "Wren Kingston faces charges today relating to the kidnap of five Rosewood teens, the rape of one Aria Montgomery and numerous other offences. He pled not guilty at the arraignment months ago and now Veronica Hastings, mother of one of the victims, will act as the prosecuting attorney."

"All of the victims have returned to town for the trial," the reporter continues. "Spencer Hastings, Emily Fields and Hanna Marin are understood to have taken leave from their chosen colleges, while Aria Montgomery, best-selling novelist of the book 'Rosewood: The True Story' which documents the girls' ordeal, has postponed the next stage of her world tour in order to return. She was spotted today, walking through town with boyfriend and former English teacher, Ezra Fitz. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice a large diamond ring on Montgomery's finger which may lead to speculation that the young couple have now got engaged."

Spencer rolls her eyes and turns the TV volume right down, turning to Emily and asking, "Did Aria say anything to you about getting engaged?"

"No, but that doesn't mean she hasn't," Emily says. "You know what it's been like for her, it's tough to get cell signal. I'm sure she'll rush in here and tell us first thing if it's true."

"I miss her," Spencer says. "And I can't wait to congratulate her on the book – have you read it?"

"Yeah I did," Emily says. "It's really _really_ good. Like I lived it and I still felt myself getting excited and nervous, I was so caught up in it. People are recognising me all over the place though, I sort of wish we hadn't included so many pictures."

"It's okay, Emily," Spencer says. "It happened to us and we need to come to terms with that. We can't be ashamed or hide the truth. It is part of who we are."

"Yeah, I know," Emily says. "So how's Toby?"

"Yeah good," Spencer says, grinning. "We caught up last night, but I hadn't seen him in a few weeks. We go back and forth when we can but otherwise it's pretty tough. He misses you, he said so. He misses everyone actually – we spent so much time together towards the end of senior year, you know?"

"Yeah, I miss him too," Emily says.

"Have you spoken to Maya at all?" Spencer asks sympathetically. "I cannot believe she cheated on you, Em, I really can't. You'd been through so much, how could she?"

"I guess she thought it was all just too much," Emily says. "She said she'd been…she'd seen other people while I was gone, just as like a comfort thing, and when we went to Europe, it was all too easy to pick those flings back up. Whatever, it's over now. I'll find somebody new. Somebody better."

"I'm sure you will," Spencer says reassuringly. "Are Hanna and Caleb on their way?"

"Yeah," Emily says. "And Aria and Ezra should be here any minute." As if on cue, the doorbell rings loudly and Spencer jumps up, pulling the door open and throwing her arms around her best friend.

"Hey, Spence," Aria laughs, pulling away and kissing her cheek lightly. "How are you? Beautiful as ever, I see?"

"Says you," Spencer says, looking Aria up and down. She is tanned and beaming, but Spencer's eyes zero in on the massive diamond sitting comfortably on her ring finger. "What the hell is that?" She looks at Ezra, who is grinning. "Did you buy her that? It's beautiful."

"Yeah, I did," Ezra says. "Just before I asked her to be my wife."

"Shut up!" Spencer squeals. "Oh my God, guys, congratulations!"

"What, what?" Emily says, running to the door. "Are you engaged?!"

"Yes," Aria says, laughing. "He asked me a few weeks ago – I wanted to tell you guys, but it seemed silly to do it over the phone."

"I'm so happy for you guys," Emily says, kissing Aria on the cheek and throwing herself into Ezra's arms.

"Hey!" Ezra says, hugging Emily tightly. "We missed you, Em. Both of you."

"I just can't believe you guys are engaged," Spencer says tearfully. "You're going to get _married_! Do you understand how proud Ali would be of you right now?"

"I know," Aria says, wiping her eyes quickly. "I'm going to be Ezra's wife."

"What?!" Hanna squeals behind Ezra and Emily. "You guys are getting married?!"

"Yeah," Aria laughs, properly tearful now.

"She's going to be my wife," Ezra says, beaming.

"Oh, congratulations, man," Caleb says, clapping Ezra on the shoulder.

"This is so good," Hanna says, rushing forwards and hugging Aria tightly. "God, how is everyone?"

"Good," Spencer grins. "Are we ready to do this?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Hanna says. "I don't want to see his smug little face but if it's to see him go down, I guess I can handle it."

"Have you been called to witness, Aria?" Spencer asks. "Mom said they weren't going to call all of us."

"Yeah, they called me," Aria says. "I guess because I was his…whatever, they did call me. What about the rest of you?"

"They chose Spence," Emily says. "Hanna and I will be able to sit in the court the whole time."

"Well that's good!" Aria says. "At least then we'll know how it's going. Ezra, are you going to be there the whole time?"

"Of course," Ezra says. "Caleb, Toby and I will be right there every step of the way."

"Good," Aria says. "Come on then, let's get over to the courthouse."

* * *

"Good morning, Miss Montgomery," Veronica Hastings says warmly. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Nervous," Aria admits, looking straight at Ezra, who nods reassuringly.

"That's perfectly understandable," Veronica smiles. "Tell me, do you know the man sitting at that table over there?"

"Yes," Aria says quietly.

"Who is he, Aria?" Veronica asks. "Who is he, to you?"

"He's Wren Kingston," Aria says. "In my senior year, he kidnapped me, tortured me, raped me and tried to kill me."

"Well that's quite a collection of accusations," Veronica says. "When did you first meet the defendant?"

"Er, Thanksgiving 2015," Aria says. "My friends and our families all went to my cabin in the woods and he was the boyfriend of Spencer's older sister, Melissa."

"Did you speak with him privately at all?" Veronica asks.

"Yes, I think so," Aria says. "I went to get a drink of water and he followed me out to the kitchen. He asked about the tension between Melissa and myself, we joked around a bit and then I asked him to cover for me while I went to call my boyfriend."

"I see," Veronica says. "Did he mention Alison DiLaurentis to you at all?"

"No," Aria says.

"Very well," Veronica says. "When did you next see Mr Kingston?"

"Not until the interview at the police station," Aria says. "The day he raped me."

"Did you, up until that point, have any suspicion as to your kidnapper's true identity?" Veronica asks.

"Only a little," Aria says frankly. "I had a miscarriage in the bunker he was keeping us in, and the way he treated me indicated that he had medical training."

"I see," Veronica says. "Talk to me a little bit about the bunker. How long were you there for? Can you tell me something about the ordeal?"

"I think we were there for about eight weeks but I'm not entirely sure," Aria says. "Maybe 7? We were kept in these tiny little dank rooms, like jail cells. They had like a big mat and a toilet and cameras in the corner and that was it, that was all there was. We only really went there to sleep though. We spent most of our time in the game room. Wren's fond of games. There were pictures covering all the walls, pictures of our friends and families, everybody we loved. And then there was this table in the centre of the room, with all these wires which we had to hook ourselves up to. It had this spinner in the middle and on each segment were instructions, like 'share a secret', or 'choose a friend'. If we refused, or we were chosen, the wires gave us an electric shock. We couldn't eat unless he gave us food. If we fell asleep, he sounded this siren. All the doors were sealed electrically, we couldn't get out, there was nothing we could do except go along with his games."

"So how did you escape?" Veronica asks.

"There was this one door," Aria says. "That was sealed by a normal lock. Every week, for five minutes, all the power went off and that was when we ran. Em picked the lock and then there was this massive ladder which we climbed. Another door and then somehow we were out and we were running until…we were safe. At least, that's what we thought."

"And then you didn't receive any contact from Wren until the police interview?" Veronica asks.

"No, none," Aria says. "We thought we saw him at school one day and it triggered this like PTSD breakdown. Oh and we got some texts, warning us not to talk to the police anymore or he'd spill our secrets. Anyway, we were all in therapy for weeks and then, just as we thought we might finally be able to move on from it, we went to see our therapist and she told us that he had confessed."

"What did you do when you were told?" Veronica asks.

"I asked to see him," Aria says. "I wanted to understand. If I'd known what he was planning, I would never have gone but…I walked straight into his trap. He knew me better than I knew myself, he knew all my secrets and how I made decisions and…I went. We all went."

"And you spoke to him," Veronica says. "What did you discuss?"

"Everything," Aria says. "From the day he took Alison to the decision he took to confess everything."

"He confessed to kidnapping Alison?" Veronica asks carefully.

"Oh yes," Aria says. "He told me that he'd taken her at the age of 10 and that-"

"Objection," his defence lawyer says loudly. "Hearsay. The witness requested that this interview not be included in court proceedings so no recording was made."

"Sustained," the judge says. "Move it along please, counsel."

"Very well," Veronica says. "When did you realise that the guards had been gassed?"

"Quite late on," Aria says. "We were trying to escape but we couldn't and then…God, I don't know. He told me that I had a choice. To undo his handcuffs and let him have sex with me or to sit there and watch as he had sex with one of my friends."

"What did you do then?" Veronica says.

"I told him that he could have me if he let my friends go," Aria says, suddenly tearful. "That if he let them leave the room, I would stay with him."

"And what happened next?" Veronica asks tightly.

"He raped me," Aria says as the first tear drips down onto her cheek. "He choked me as he forced me to have sex with him and he told me about how he had done the same to Ali. He…I was bleeding and bruised and violated and then he just walked away like nothing had happened."

"For the benefit of the tape, we are looking at Exhibit A now," Veronica says. "These are pictures of the witness just after the attack. Aria, do you remember this moment?"

"Yes," Aria says, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Detective Wilden found me and I couldn't…I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I didn't know what to do. He was trying to help me but I guess I was just in shock. It wasn't until Spencer and the others woke up that I really came out of it."

"Okay, Miss Montgomery," Veronica says. "Let's take a quick recess?"

"Recess," the judge says and Aria crumbles. For thirty seconds, she puts her head on her arms and sobs, and then when she straightens up, she has regained her composure. She looks out into the crowd and meets Ezra's eyes – he looks emotional but nods to reassure and mouths, 'I love you'. She nods back and mouths, 'I love you too' and then her eyes move to Emily and Hanna who are both in tears. They both smile reassuringly at her and shoot her a thumbs up and then, as she's waiting, her eyes drift to Wren, sitting at the defence table. He is watching her with interest, and grinning. She raises an eyebrow and he mouths, 'You look good.' She shudders and looks down at her hands; when she turns around, chaos has broken out.

Ezra, furious at whatever Wren has said to upset her, has lunged forwards; it takes Caleb, Toby and Mike to force him back into his seat and then Emily has to sit on his lap to stop him from getting back up. 'Stop,' Aria mouths to him angrily. 'You'll make it worse.' Ezra hangs his head and mouths, 'What did he say?' Aria shakes her head tearfully and then Veronica gets back up and the judge bangs his gavel.

"Only a few more questions now, Aria," she says warmly. "When did you next see Mr Kingston?"

"At my high school graduation," Aria says. "We'd just finished the ceremony and my friends and I were about to go and get ready for the party when gunshots started to ring out around the room. I knew it was him straight away."

"How?" Veronica asks.

"Instinct, I guess?" Aria says. "I just couldn't believe he was going to end it with the…the rape, you know? There had to be a final round of the game and this was it."

"So what did you do?" Veronica asks.

"I found him," Aria says. "I told him to leave my friends alone and have this final showdown just me and him."

"He agreed?" Veronica asks.

"Yes," Aria says. "He let everybody leave – of course some of my friends refused. There were about 12 of us left by the end but he had a gun and there was nothing we could do. He was going to shoot Ezra, I had to let him take me."

"Just to clarify, Aria," Veronica says. "You're saying that Wren said he would shoot Ezra, your fiancé – congratulations on that by the way – unless you went with him?"

"Yes," Aria says. "That's what he said."

"No further questions, Your Honour," Veronica says and she shoots Aria a reassuring smile.

"Good morning, Aria," the defence attorney says, smiling. "May I first just say that I read your book and I am a huge fan?"

"Oh," Aria says, bewildered. "Thank you."

"Yes, you're a truly excellent writer," he says. "What inspired you to write about this?"

"I wrote about it anyway," Aria says. "I find writing quite therapeutic and after everything else, I needed to do it. And then my fiancé, he spoke to a couple of publishers about the concept, and they said that if I didn't publish the book, somebody else would and they'd write it wrong. I lived it, you know? And there was so much news about what had happened, I wanted people to know the truth."

"I see," he says. "Interesting. Now, in your book, you talk about life after Alison DiLaurentis went missing. You claim to have been…promiscuous, shall we say?"

"Yeah, we could say that," Aria says. "Slutty is the word I would have chosen, but fine. I was promiscuous, right up until the day I met Ezra. It stopped then."

"Ah Ezra," he says. "In your book, you claim to love him very much. How did you first meet him?"

"In a bar," Aria says tightly.

"Was Ezra ever your teacher, Aria?" he says ruthlessly and Aria's eyes bug and flick to Veronica, who flies to her feet.

"Objection," she shouts. "Relevance?"

"Sustained," the judge says. "Try and get to the point, counsel."

"Very well," the defence attorney says. "You said earlier that you spoke to the defendant about tension between yourself and Melissa Hastings. Can you explain that?"

"Yeah," Aria says frankly. "Melissa hated me because when I was a sophomore, I hooked up with her boyfriend. I didn't know he was her boyfriend and he hooked up with three other girls at that party, but I was the only one she knew about."

"I see," the defence attorney says. "You also slept with…Alison's brother, Jason DiLaurentis?"

"Yes, once," Aria says. "But he and I have always been extremely close, it was bound to happen." Her eyes fly to Jason who looks baffled and then to Ezra who looks unsurprised.

"And multiple times with your high school best friend, Noel Kahn?" the defence attorney continues.

"Yes," Aria says tightly, her eyes on a grinning Wren.

"Just trying to get an idea of your character, Miss Montgomery," he says quietly. "So back to Thanksgiving, when you first met the defendant. Would you say your behaviour was…flirtatious in any way?"

"Probably," Aria says frankly. "I'm a very flirty person. Anyone would tell you that."

"Okay," he nods. "Now, onto the police interview. After you discovered that the defendant had allegedly gassed the station so that the two of you and your three other friends were the only ones awake, could you explain to me what happened?"

"Wren asked me to undo his handcuffs," Aria says slowly. "He had a key in his pocket. I refused at first, as you would, and then he said, and I quote, 'I'm going to have sex with you. You can undo my handcuffs and make it easier on yourself, or you can refuse and watch me rape one of your friends instead.' I had to make a choice and I made the one most people would make. I chose to save my loved ones."

"I see," the defence attorney says. "What did you say to the defendant?"

"I said, 'So just let them go, eh? Me and you, we'll stay here. But we don't need them here to watch us, right?'. I thought if I could just save my friends, I could talk Wren round but…"

"Aria, by your own admission, you had a lot of sex in high school," the defence attorney says. "You also said that you flirted with Wren upon first meeting him. Is it possible that you asked the other girls to leave the room so that you could have sex with a man you found attractive and then lied afterwards to cover your tracks?"

A loud gasp echoes round the courtroom and Aria's mouth falls open. "Just to clarify, sir," she says eventually. "Are you saying that if a woman enjoys sex, it is not possible for her to reject a man who wants to have sex with her?"

"No, I-" the attorney says, shocked, but Aria doesn't stop, her eyes gleaming.

"I suppose Wren told you that I begged him to let the other girls go so that he and I would be alone," Aria says, tears dripping down her cheeks. "But did he also tell you how I pleaded with him not to touch me? How I asked if we could talk about Ali? How I said no _repeatedly_ as he tore my clothes off and violated me? How eventually he grew tired of my protestations and told me that if I didn't shut up and act like I was enjoying it, he would do the same to one of my friends when he was done with me? How I finally just shut up and waited for it to be over? Is passiveness in the face of force, in the face of direct threat, _sir_ , the same as consent?"

"Well, I-" the attorney tries again but Aria rolls her eyes and opens her mouth again.

"No, I don't think so," Aria says. "For the record, I would never lie to my fiancé. If I'd cheated on him, I would have said so. You and I clearly have extremely different morals."

The defence attorney opens and closes his mouth a few times like a goldfish and then finally says, "No further questions, Your Honour."

"Counsel?" the judge says, glancing at Veronica, who has covered her mouth with one of her hands but is clearly grinning.

"No further questions, Your Honour," Veronica says.

"Dismissed," the judge says approvingly to Aria, who gets out of the witness box and walks smoothly across the room. As she does so, she catches Wren's eye – he is no longer grinning. She frowns at him and then swishes out of the room in a manner that is reminiscent of the way she used to walk down Rosewood High's corridors.

* * *

"You should have seen it, Spence," Caleb says, throwing his arms around Aria. "She slayed in that courtroom, I swear to God. That dickhead of a defence didn't know what to say."

"I'm not surprised," Emily laughs. "I mean, trying to make out that you _wanted_ to have sex with him, what did he think was going to happen?"

"He did what?!" Spencer gasps. "Oh my God, Aria, I'm sorry. That's terrible."

"Yeah, well," Aria says. "I spoke to your mom yesterday and she warned me they might try it. I was pretty slutty back in high school, you know, so it doesn't look good."

"That is completely beside the point," Ezra says furiously.

"Calm down," Aria laughs, leaning in and kissing him. "It's fine."

"Aria's right, man," Toby says. "There were 9 women in that jury and they all looked really angry when he tried to suggest that she was making it up. There's no way he's walking away from this."

"Shall we order dinner?" Hanna suggests.

"Sure," Emily says. "I'm just going to check the news."

"Kingston trial begins as Aria Montgomery, best-selling author and star witness, comes to the stand," the reporter says clearly. "There were some shocking twists in store as Montgomery talked frankly about her teen pregnancy and rape while she skirted questions about her fiancé and former teacher, Ezra Fitz, who is alleged to have begun his relationship with the teen while she was still his student."

"Surprise came from both sides of the desk today though, as defence attorney, James Knight, accused Aria of falsifying her rape story to save her relationship, suggesting that her previous promiscuous behaviour alluded to this. There was outcry worldwide at this as many rape survivors' charities condemned Knight for his accusations, while many popular figures spoke out in support of Montgomery, who was quick to put him in his place."

"Another shocking moment was a never before seen image of Aria Montgomery just after the rape occurred. Curled up in the corner of the interview room, she-"

"Oh turn it off," Aria says. "What's happening tomorrow, does anybody know? Is it you Spence?"

"No," Spencer says. "It was supposed to be but after today, my mum has decided to put the doctor on tomorrow."

"Who is this guy?" Caleb asks, fishing a menu out of a drawer.

"He's the doctor who examined Aria in the police station after…" Spencer trails off, glancing at Aria who has suddenly become extremely interested in her shoes. "Anyway, he's there to talk about bruising and other physical evidence that will indicate that Wren forced Aria."

"And then what?" Toby asks. "Is it just you left?"

"No, there's Dr Sullivan too, and Detective Wilden. And Mom has a surprise," Spencer says. "I don't know if she'll come, none of the defence team know but she's supposed to be testifying."

"Who is it?" Hanna asks.

"It's Mrs D," Aria gasps. "Oh my God, Spence, this could change everything."

"It could win it," Spencer agrees, nodding seriously.

"God," Aria says and then a thought dawns on her face. "Oh my God, I have to go to Jason's."

"Okay," Ezra says. "Do you want me to drive you?"

"No, stay here," Aria says. "I'll be straight there and back, I promise."

* * *

"Jason?!" Aria shouts as she hammers on the door. "Jason, please let me in, we need to talk about this." She bangs on the door for ages and just as she's about to give up, he opens the door and appraises her disapprovingly.

"Was I drunk?" he asks eventually.

"Yeah," she says. "We both were. In New York. Do you remember at all?"

"Yes," he says. "I remember having sex in New York – the girl was gone when I woke up and I remember being glad because morning afters are always awkward. I remember the sex being really good. And that's it really. I just sort of pushed it out of my mind."

"Well it was me," she says. "I didn't know it until I woke up the next morning. I recognised you and I just freaked. I ran and never looked back. No, that's not true. I almost called a dozen times but I didn't know what to say and then when you came to town after…after they found Ali, you clearly didn't remember or even know so I just…never said. But I couldn't lie in court and Wren knew so…"

"I wish I'd known," he says. "I wish I could remember it with your face. Aria, I'm in love with you, I have been for years and I just…"

"I know," Aria says. "I feel the same. I feel like we missed our shot, Jason, and it hurts me. But we…Ezra and I are really happy. He loves me and he wants to marry me and I have to look forwards, not back."

"I know, I understand," Jason says. "I just couldn't let it go unsaid any more, you know? There are so many secrets in this town, we didn't need this one too."

"I agree," Aria says. "I love you so much."

"Love you too," Jason says, pulling her into a hug. "I'm here for you, Aria. Whatever you need."

"Same," Aria says. "Do you want to come to Spencer's with me? We're ordering pizza?"

"Sure," Jason says. "I'd like that."


	18. Chapter 18

"Good morning, Dr Albright," Veronica says warmly. "Thank you so much for joining us this morning."

"It's my pleasure," Dr Albright says. "Anything to help the girls."

"Quite," Veronica says. "It is my understanding that you were the doctor who treated Aria Montgomery after she was sexually assaulted by the defendant. Is that right?"

"Oh yes," Dr Albright says. "Never seen a case like it in all my years."

"Could you talk me through your findings?" Veronica says.

"Of course," Dr Albright says. "We found semen in the victim's hair, mouth, vagina and anus as well as on her breasts and abdomen. There was considerable bruising on the tops of her arms, around her neck and on her hips, and blood around the top of her thighs."

"The bruising?" Veronica asks. "Where do you believe that came from?"

"The bruising indicated that she had been held down and forced into certain positions," Dr Albright says.

"And the blood?" Veronica continues.

"We found a small tear in the outer lips of the victim's vagina," Dr Albright says. "It is suspected that the defendant forced his penis inside of her with such force that he ripped her skin. There was also a lot of damage to the anus and the rectum – we believe this is because of a lack of lubricant."

"Very well," Veronica says. "No further questions, Your Honour."

"Good morning, Doctor," James Knight says, buttoning his jacket as he stands. "Talk me through your findings one more time." Dr Albright walks him through the findings again and then Knight nods. "This bruising," he asks. "Is it possible it was a result of passion rather than force?"

"It's extremely unlikely, especially when presented alongside our other findings," he says clearly.

"But it's possible?" James presses.

Dr Albright sighs heavily and then turns to address the jury. "A large portion of the rape cases I treat are about power more than sexual attraction," he says. "I have never seen a case where the rapist is trying to exert his dominance more than this one. The semen we found, especially in the victim's hair and on her breasts, indicates that he was using her as a sexual object rather than treating her as a sexual partner. The bruising clearly indicates that he was forcing her to do what he wanted, while the blood we found shows a clear lack of respect. However, the clearest indicator, for me, was the fact that he took her clothes after the attack. If he had considered this a normal sexual encounter, he would have left them behind, but he took them, not only to further assert his dominance over Aria but to assert his dominance over the entire police station. This was rape, pure and simple. It is not possible that this was a passionate encounter."

Knight opens and closes his mouth a couple of times and then sits down, saying, "No further questions, Your Honour."

Dr Albright smiles to himself and then looks out into the audience. Aria is in tears but she looks him deep in the eye and nods gratefully. He nods back and then descends from the witness stand, leaving the room with the confidence that he has done his job.

Next to Aria, Ezra is practically vibrating in his rage. Hearing about the attack from a medical perspective is somehow worse than anything they've heard so far and he has to hold Aria's hand to keep himself calm.

"Counsel," the judge says to Veronica. "Call your next witness."

"The prosecution calls Spencer Hastings to the stand," Veronica says and Spencer walks into the room. She is cool, calm and collected, shooting Wren a venomous look as she passes.

"Good morning, Spencer," Veronica says, smiling fondly at her daughter. "How are you today?"

"Fine," Spencer says assuredly. "Ready for this to be over."

"Aren't we all," Veronica says as laughter runs around the room. "You recognise the defendant, correct?"

"Correct," Spencer says. "He dated my sister, kissed me, kidnapped me and my friends and then raped my best friend before threatening my school class at gunpoint."

"Again, quite a collection of accusations," Veronica says to the jury. "Let's start with your first meeting."

"It was Thanksgiving," Spencer says. "Melissa and Wren had just got engaged but I'd never met him before – Melissa likes to keep her boyfriends secret from me because I have a…a bad habit of kissing them."

"Okay," Veronica says tightly. "What did you think of him that Thanksgiving?"

"I thought he was different to the boys Melissa usually went for," Spencer admits. "I thought he was good-looking and clever and intriguing but I was interested in somebody else so I didn't really think much about him."

"When did you next see him?" Veronica asks.

"He moved into the barn at my house after Thanksgiving," Spencer says. "But I didn't really interact with him much until after they found Ali's body."

"Ah yes," Veronica says. "Did he ask you about Ali at all?"

"No," Spencer says. "He just sat with me while I cried and then he kissed me. Melissa found us and threw him out."

"And that was the last you saw of Wren until the interview at the police station?" Veronica asks.

"Yeah," Spencer says.

"In that time, you spent around 7 weeks in an underground bunker," Veronica says, her voice hitching slightly. "Was there any indication that Wren was the man who was keeping you there?"

"No," Spencer says. "I didn't suspect him at all until I was told he'd confessed. When we spoke to him in the police station, it all fell into place."

"I see," Veronica says. "When you saw him at the police station, he confessed everything?"

"Yes," Spencer says. "His motives, everything he'd done. He expressed a strong preference for Aria, explained that he was punishing us for not missing Alison enough, and then the gas…"

"Okay," Veronica says. "After Aria undid his handcuffs, what happened to you and Hanna and Emily?"

"He pushed us out into the corridor," Spencer says. "The gas choked us pretty quickly and the next thing I knew, he was gone and Aria was…" She looks at the audience, where Aria is sitting in between Ezra and Hanna, and a tear drips down onto her cheek. "She's my best friend and he…he really hurt her."

"Very well," Veronica says. "When did you see him next?"

"At graduation," Spencer says. "He was going to take Aria, there was nothing we could do. He'd always wanted her, he looked like he'd properly lost it and then…the police were there. They saved us. It was over."

"How do you feel?" Veronica asks. "How do you feel, looking at him now?"

"I'm scared of him," Spencer says. "He's cleverer than anyone I've ever known and there's a large part of me which suspects this is all part of his master plan to get us back in that bunker. I still have nightmares about that place, I see him everywhere I look, I am not safe or happy and I will not be until he is behind bars."

"Thank you, Spencer," Veronica says. "No further questions."

"Hey, Spencer," James says, false warmth dripping from his every word. "Must be nice to have Mom here, huh?"

"She's good at her job," Spencer says coldly.

"Quite," James says, eyeing her uncertainly. "So you kissed the defendant? Just the once?"

"Just the once," Spencer says. "I started seeing someone after he left town and I'm still with him now."

"Sure," James says. "Now you talked earlier about motives – you had a pretty big motive yourself, didn't you?"

"Did I?" Spencer says sarcastically. "What was that then?"

"Well, Aria is your, by your own admission, best friend," James says. "And she confesses in her book to being incredibly torn up by the loss of Alison DiLaurentis. Join this with the idea that she was spending more and more time with her secret boyfriend and suddenly you have more than enough reason to want her to yourself. Your other friends too."

"Excuse me?" Spencer says, voice like ice. "What exactly are you accusing me of?"

"Maybe you joined forces with Wren?" James says. "Maybe you became jealous of his escalating feelings for Miss Montgomery and promised to get him alone with her to win back his affection?"

"What are you _talking_ about?" Spencer says incredulously, bursting into tears. "Are you really that stupid? I had nothing to do with what happened to us, I was a victim! I haven't slept properly in months, I have regular panic attacks, I can't even see a black hoody without-"

"Enough," the judge says. "Mr Knight, Miss Hastings is not the one on trial here and your line of questioning has nothing to do with proving Mr Kingston's innocence."

"Fine, fine, sorry," James says. "No further questions, Your Honour."

"Spencer, remember you are under oath," Veronica says firmly, shooting a disgusted look in James' direction. "Did you have any other contact with the defendant aside from the face-to-face encounters you have told us about today?"

"He sent me three or four texts," Spencer says. "Threats mostly. I didn't reply to any of them."

"No secret phone calls or meetings?" Veronica says sarcastically.

"None," Spencer says honestly.

"Very well," Veronica says. "No further questions."

"Miss Hastings, you're dismissed," the judge says. "This court will now recess until 9am tomorrow – counsel, I wish to see you both in my chambers. Immediately."

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright?" Aria asks, hugging Spencer tightly.

"Yeah," Spencer says. "I'm fine."

"That James Knight is a real nasty piece of work," Ezra says angrily. "First Aria, now you – who is he going to try and blame next?"

"He did everything he could to discredit the doctor," Caleb says. "He's going about it all wrong though – he keeps pushing and pushing until they snap and completely own him. Seriously the way Dr Albright went off on him was outstanding, I wish you could have seen it."

"It wasn't emotional though," Hanna says. "Not like Aria, which obviously worked very well for her but wouldn't have worked for him. It was just very calm and factual and honest."

"Yeah, I agree," Emily says. "I think we're doing quite well so far."

"I agree," Veronica says as she walks into the room. She walks past Spencer, kissing the top of her head as she goes, and says, "Well done, darling."

"What did the judge want to talk to you about?" Toby asks.

"He disciplined Knight for bullying in the courtroom," Veronica says delightedly. "He said that you girls had done absolutely nothing wrong, that you were victims in all of this and that you were not to be treated as criminals."

"Quite right too," Ezra says. "So who's up tomorrow?"

"Dr Sullivan," Veronica says. "Possibly Detective Wilden if there's enough time, but I suspect there won't be. Knight will really want to destroy any testimony Sullivan gives – the rest has gone so bad for him so far."

* * *

"Good morning, Dr Sullivan," Veronica says, beaming. "What is your connection to this case?"

"I am Aria, Spencer, Emily and Hanna's therapist," Dr Sullivan replies.

"I see," Veronica says. "When did you first meet the girls?"

"January 19th, I believe," Dr Sullivan says. "It was about a week after they first got out of the bunker."

"Talk to me about that first meeting," Veronica says. "How were the girls?"

"Reluctant to be there," Dr Sullivan laughs. "Their parents had insisted they went along and they were very quiet at first. I spoke to them as a group and we talked about their fears – that 'A' was still out there and that they'd never recover until he or she was behind bars. Then I spoke to them individually."

"Who did you start with?" Veronica asks.

"Aria," Dr Sullivan says, shooting the petite brunette a smile. "We talked about her guilt after Alison went missing, about her pain after her miscarriage and about her dependency on her boyfriend. She, like all the other girls, was extremely reluctant to discuss the time she spent in the bunker at all and the session ended rather abruptly."

"Who next?" Veronica asks.

"I talked to Hanna next," Dr Sullivan says. "She was probably the least open, at first that is, and it took me a while to get her to talk to me. We spoke about her boyfriend and how he made her feel loved, how she'd always felt second best to her friends, her life just after Alison was kidnapped and then a little about her nightmares. She refused to speak about the bunker."

"Emily next?" Veronica says.

"Yes," Dr Sullivan says. "Emily was probably the most open to talking although she was extremely nervous. We talked about how she was struggling to come out to her parents, about Alison and her life after she went missing, her relationship with her friends and then her trouble sleeping. When I asked about the bunker, she shut down and I moved onto Spencer."

"What did you discuss with Spencer?" Veronica asks.

"We talked about her previous drug addiction," Dr Sullivan says. "Then she mentioned that Hanna was close friends with Mona Vanderwaal, who had recently been arrested for the murder of Alison DiLaurentis, and when I told Spencer this, she ended the session extremely abruptly and went with the other girls to contact Mona."

"What diagnosis did you give?" Veronica asks.

"I gave a diagnosis of PTSD and mild paranoia," Dr Sullivan says. "I came to this conclusion based on their nightmares and the avoidance tactics they were employing as well as their panic attacks."

"So what happened then?" Veronica asks.

"I saw them pretty regularly," Dr Sullivan says. "3 or 4 times a week. I was just about to move it down to twice a week when Wren confessed."

"Did you ever speak to the defendant?" Veronica asks.

"Never," Dr Sullivan says. "I knew of him from what the girls had told me but I never met him."

"You were the one to inform the girls of his confession," Veronica says. "Talk me through what happened that day."

"I was in a session with Hanna when I got the phone call. I spoke to all their parents and then called the other girls and asked them to come in. Emily arrived first, then Aria and finally Spencer. I told them what had happened and they were…shocked to say the least. Spencer, Emily and Hanna couldn't believe it but Aria was very collected – she asked if they could speak to him. I recommended that they didn't but they chose to do so anyway and that was the last I saw of them until after the incident."

"Yes," Veronica says. "You spoke to all of the girls after the rape, correct?"

"Yes," Dr Sullivan says.

"How were they?" Veronica asks.

"They were…they were devastated," Dr Sullivan says heavily. "We all were. All her family and friends, we all cared about Aria a lot and it…it's a terrible thing to happen to anybody, but after all she'd been through, it was just unthinkable. The first session I had with Spencer after the attack, she didn't say a single word for the full hour, she just cried her eyes out."

"And Aria herself?" Veronica asks.

"She was very brave," Dr Sullivan says. "She went back to school very soon after the attack but she still came to see me three times a week. We talked about the attack, about her fears for her relationship with Ezra after the attack, how she felt now that she knew the true identity of her kidnapper and about her feelings towards her friends, we…we talked about a lot of things. I like to think it helped her." She looks to Aria again – the small brunette is crying hard but she nods gratefully.

"When did you stop seeing the girls?" Veronica asks.

"I stopped seeing them the week before their graduation," Dr Sullivan says. "I would have liked to see them after the incident at the ceremony, but the four of them, with Ezra, Caleb and Toby, flew straight out to London the day after. I still speak to them though – Spencer, Hanna and Emily call me once a week and Aria calls me whenever she can."

"Okay," Veronica says. "Thank you, Dr Sullivan. No further questions, Your Honour."

James Knight stands up now and smiles at Dr Sullivan. "Good morning, Doctor," he says quietly. "Thank you for coming in today."

"Anything to help the girls," Dr Sullivan says, smiling warmly at the four of them. They all beam back at her from tear-soaked faces.

"Yes, you're obviously very close to the girls," James says. "Is that common with therapists?"

"I've always found it to be the case," Dr Sullivan says. "When you see somebody that often and they trust you that much, it's difficult not to become close. This, obviously, was a special case because they'd been through such a terrible trauma."

"You still speak to them?" James asks.

"Yes," Dr Sullivan says. "They like to keep me updated on their lives and their progress. I was the first person Aria told after she got engaged."

"Wow, so you're extremely important to her," James says. "She tells you everything?"

"Yes, I believe so," Dr Sullivan says.

"So she told you, as a high school student, about her relationship with a teacher," James says, raising an eyebrow.

"She did," Dr Sullivan confirms. "When she told me, he was no longer her teacher. As her therapist, it is not my place to judge or criticise, only to support. I am not allowed to tell anybody else what she tells me – the only reason I can do so now is because I have express written permission from the girls."

"There are exceptions, are there not?" James says. "In the cases of child abuse?"

"Aria is not and was not a child," Dr Sullivan says. "She was 18, the most Ezra was guilty of was an abuse of trust, and it was not my decision whether to take that to the police or not. Aria and her parents opted not to press charges so that was that. I was there to support her."

"I see," James says. "You say you recommended the girls not speak to the defendant? Why was that?"

"I believed it would do more damage to their mental health than good," Dr Sullivan says. "Obviously I could not have predicted the extent to which Wren would hurt them but I suspected it would not be healthy. However, they chose to speak to him anyway and so it was my job to support them in that."

"Was there any point that you suspected any of the girls might have been lying to you?" James asks.

"None at all," Dr Sullivan says icily.

"Well I – no further questions, Your Honour," James says, sitting down abruptly.

Dr Sullivan frowns, exchanging a baffled look with Veronica who shrugs and shakes her head at the judge. "Very well," the judge says. "You're dismissed." As Dr Sullivan steps down from the stand and walks through the crowd, Aria and Hanna reach out, squeezing her arm gratefully. She smiles reassuringly at them and then walks sedately out of the room.

"The prosecution calls Detective Darren Wilden to the stand," Veronica says. Darren walks into the room, nodding to the girls as he passes.

"Good morning, Detective," Veronica says warmly. "You were the detective in charge of the girls' case, isn't that right?"

"Yes," Darren says. "I was given charge of the Alison DiLaurentis case after her body was found and since the girls' kidnapping was presumed to be linked, I took charge of that too."

"How did the search go?" Veronica asks.

"Not well," Darren says. "There were very few clues about where the girls could possibly be – by the time we realised they were missing, they had been gone a full two hours which meant that the radius for where they could be being hidden was extremely large. We searched the whole state and then started work with the police departments in New York and New Jersey just before they escaped."

"You say you searched the whole state?" Veronica says. "Given that the girls were being kept in a bunker in Harrisburg, you can see why we might think that you weren't very thorough?"

"Of course I can," Darren says. "But the bunker was _extremely_ well-hidden – the only reason we found it after their escape was because we knew we were looking something underground and we knew the rough area. Even with that information, it still took about a week to find it."

"Okay," Veronica says. "So once you found the bunker, where did you go from there?"

"We were investigating many possible links based on the profile the girls had given us," Darren says. "Young men seen in that area on several occasions with medical knowledge, it did help us narrow it down a lot but Wren was never really on our radar until we found him at the bunker."

"So he went back to the bunker?" Veronica says. "Why would he do that?"

"We now believe he set the whole thing up," Darren says. "His capture, his arrest, his interview with the girls, he engineered the whole thing so he could have his time alone with Aria. Nevertheless, the photos we found in his private room were conclusive proof that he had some role in the kidnapping of Alison DiLaurentis."

"What do you mean by that?" Veronica asks.

"Alison went missing when she was 10," Darren says. "Her body was found when she was 18. So she lived for 8 years with her kidnapper, she didn't see her family or her friends so pictures of her from the ages of 10-18 had to have been taken by her kidnapper or someone involved in the kidnapping."

"What kind of pictures were they?" Veronica asks.

"They started off fairly innocent," Darren says. "Headshots, pictures of her playing. Then they got a bit darker, pictures of her sleeping or her bruises, lots of black and white. Then we found his ultimate private collection – pictures of him raping her, nude shots. She can't have been any older than 15."

A gasp runs round the room as the four girls dissolve into tears. Jason is white as a sheet and he looks like he's about to be sick but he stays in his seat, watching Wren shake his head.

"So the photos were enough for you to arrest him?" Veronica says. "And you interviewed him? What happened then?"

"He admitted everything," Darren says. "All about what happened to Ali, what he did to the other girls, his attraction first to Alison and then to Aria. Of course he later retracted it, but in that interview he was very clear about what he'd done."

"And then the girls asked to see him?" Veronica says.

"Yes," Darren says. "I was apprehensive but I agreed. I didn't know he'd put drugs in the system."

"When you woke up, he was gone?" Veronica asks.

"Yes," Darren says. "As soon as I woke up, I knew something was really wrong. I ran straight to the interview room and Spencer, Hanna and Emily were all unconscious just outside the door but I could hear somebody crying so I went in and Aria was there just…broken. It was instantly clear what had happened. I tried to speak to her but she was in shock so I went and fetched our rape aftercare nurses to help her."

"When was the next time you saw Wren?" Veronica asks.

"At the Rosewood High Graduation," Darren replies. "I received a call saying that Wren was shooting and we moved in straight away. We went in without sirens to catch him off guard and it worked – he would have taken Aria if we hadn't stopped him."

"Did he kill anyone at the ceremony?" Veronica asks.

"No-one," Darren says. "For once this town was very lucky. He wouldn't have cared though – all he cares about is Aria."

"No further questions, Your Honour," Veronica says and James gets to his feet.

"So just tell me, Detective, what exactly were you thinking when you left four young girls alone with their kidnapper?" James says sharply.

"They weren't alone," Darren says. "We were watching the entire time – until he drugged us, that is."

"Surely it's against police protocol to let them see him in the first place?" James says.

"Maybe, but you have to understand what it's like in a town like ours," Darren says.

"Explain it to me then," James says. "You knew Aria and the others?"

"The Montgomerys have lived in Rosewood for generations," Darren says. "As have the Hastings and the Marins and the Fields and the DiLaurentises. I knew the girls and their parents and their grandparents and my dad knew _their_ grandparents. Everybody knows each other, it's just the way it is. And when the four of them went missing, it ripped the town to shreds. We were doing everything we could to find them and then their captor and when we finally did and they asked to see him, we just said yes."

"So you care about the girls?" James says.

"Of course," Darren says. "They're such a huge part of Rosewood life, I just…"

"You care about Aria?" James presses.

"Yes," Darren says apprehensively.

"Did you ever have sex with her?" James asks.

"With Aria?" Darren says. "No!"

"But you knew she was having sex with her teacher?!" James shouts.

"Yes, I knew that she was in a relationship with a man who _used_ to be her teacher," Darren says.

"And you did nothing?!" James says. "Nothing to protect the girl you say you care about?"

"She didn't need protecting," Darren begins, but James cuts him off.

"It seems to me that we are all pursuing one man," James says, turning to the stands. "When in reality, a sexual predator is living amongst us, protected by those with power!" He points at Ezra accusingly and instantly the room is thrown into chaos.

"How dare you!" Emily and Hanna shriek as Aria lunges for James, intent on clawing his eyes out. It takes Caleb, Toby and Mike to hold her back as Ezra gets to his feet and walks out of the courtroom. "Order, order!" the judge shouts as Aria throws the boys off, makes an obscene finger gesture in James' direction and then hurries after Ezra.

Veronica gets to her feet and says, "Objection!" Before she can get any further, the judge cuts her off. "Quiet!" he says sharply. "Counsel, I am going to dismiss the jury and then we can discuss your objection. Nobody is to speak another word until the jury is gone. Do I make myself clear?"

Everybody nods and the judge sends the jury out of the room, before turning back to Veronica and asking, "What is your objection, counsel?"

"Ezra Fitz is _not_ the man on trial here," Veronica says furiously, "and he did not come to be subject to inflammatory and baseless comments. The defence will retract the accusations or he will find himself as the subject of a trial of his own."

"I have to agree with counsel," the judge says. "I am appalled by the conduct I have seen from the defence today. Never in all my years as a judge have I ever seen such deplorable behaviour and I am _this close_ to declaring a mistrial and recommending Mr Knight be instantly disbarred in the state of Pennsylvania." He looks around the room angrily and then continues, "I am reluctant to do so, however, because I am aware of the intense mental strain already placed on the defendant's alleged victims. I am going to call a recess until Monday morning to allow the prosecution to regroup and the legal teams to consider the following proposition – throwing out the jury and leaving this to my decision."

Mr Knight opens his mouth to protest but the judge cuts him off furiously. "Mr Knight I would think _extremely_ carefully before you speak again. You may be facing legal charges of your own following your behaviour today, you do not want to make this any worse." He turns to Veronica and says, "Counsel, do you have anything more to say today?" Veronica shakes her head, gathers her papers and walks out of the room.

Spencer gets to her feet, throwing James a look full of pure hatred, and hurries out of the room, closely followed by Toby, Caleb and Hanna. Just behind them, Jason and Emily have to practically drag a furious Mike out. "Meet at Spencer's house," Hanna mutters to Emily as they force Mike into a car. "We need to find Aria and Ezra."

* * *

"Ezra!" Aria shouts, finally catching up with him ten minutes' walk from the courthouse. "Ezra, will you stop and listen to me?"

"What, Aria?!" he shouts. "What do you want to say to me?"

"We'll get him, babe," Aria says. "We'll sue him for defamation of character or whatever it's called."

"It's not defamation of character if it's true, Aria," Ezra snaps, turning away from her.

"Don't you dare," Aria shouts, grabbing his arm and forcing him to look at her. "You do _not_ get to play the victim or the martyr here, Ezra – I won't have it!"

"What?!" Ezra says. "Did you not hear him in there? That wasn't character defamation, that was character _assassination_!"

"It was," Aria agrees. "And we'll get him. But you are not going to sulk about, complaining that life isn't fair because there's enough of that going around as it is."

"Aria, I'm not-" he begins but she shakes her head, cutting him off.

"You are _not_ a sexual predator," she says furiously. "A sexual predator is someone who abuses their power to prey on young girls. First of all, as far as I'm aware, it wasn't girls, it was just me. Secondly, I wasn't young, I was legally an adult – if I'm old enough to drive and vote, I'm old enough to fall in love with whoever I choose. Thirdly, you didn't abuse your power to prey on me because we were already hooking up when you started teaching me. Besides which, you did _try_ to stop whatever was happening between us, it was me that practically seduced you for God's sake, and-"

"Enough," Ezra says, laughing. "I get it, Aria. I love you."

"I love you too," Aria says. "And whatever that weasel thinks, you and I know that what we have is real and it feels right and we are not going to let anyone ruin it. Right?"

"Right," Ezra says, leaning down and kissing her deeply. "You're worth any character assassination, you know that right?"

"Well of course I am," Aria laughs. "Shall we go and find the others?"

"Yes," Ezra says. "Maybe Veronica can tell us where we go from here."

* * *

"Kingston trial thrown into chaos today as defence lawyer James Knight accuses Ezra Fitz, fiancé of victim Aria Montgomery, of being a sexual predator," the news reporter says. "Fitz, 25, fled the courtroom in a rage, followed closely by Montgomery, 19 – the young couple, who recently got engaged, were last seen on the other side of the town arguing fiercely."

"Meanwhile, Judge Brennan dismissed the jury and took the time to discipline Knight, threatening to call a mistrial and recommend the defence lawyer for instant disbarment. Veronica Hastings expressed her outrage at Knight's behaviour while the other victims and their friends and family also showed their disgust at Knight's deplorable tactics."

"Brennan has now suggested that the trial remove the jury and leave the decision up to him alone," the reporter continues. "Hastings suggested that she would need to discuss the options with all of the victims before submitting her decision, including Aria Montgomery and her own daughter Spencer, both of whom gave emotional testimony earlier in the trial."

"Oh turn it off," Spencer says angrily. "Has anyone got through yet?"

"No," Hanna says, throwing her phone down on the couch and groaning in frustration. "How is this happening?"

"They'll be fine," Caleb says calmly. "They just need some time to cool off and be together, please try not to worry."

"Mom, did you call Wilden?" Spencer says.

"Yeah, he's got a couple of cop cars out looking," Veronica says. "Spencer, I'm sure they're okay. Caleb's right, they just need some time."

Just then, there is a knock at the back door and Aria and Ezra walk in. "Oh thank God," Emily says, throwing herself at Ezra. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better," Ezra says severely as he hugs her tightly. "But I'm alright, Emily, calm down."

"How are you doing, Aria?" Hanna says, hugging the tiny brunette tightly.

"Yeah, fine," Aria says. "I'm ready to deal with this now so y'all need to fill us in on what happened after we left."

"Judge Brennan kicked off massively," Toby says. "Threatened to disbar Knight and call for a mistrial."

"Quite right too," Aria snarls.

"No," Veronica says. "We do not want a mistrial."

"Why not?" Emily says, leaning on the counter.

"Because it means you'll have to testify again for one thing," Veronica says. "Not to mention the fact that it will take months for Wren to find a new lawyer, to put together a new jury which is going to be even harder this time round because there's literally nobody in the country who doesn't know what's going on with this trial and even then we might not win and even if we do, the new judge might decide that Wren should get off on account of time served and then he'll be out to do it all over again. No, we cannot take the risk of a mistrial. That is what Knight will push for and we cannot let it happen."

"So what do we do?" Spencer says. "We push for the option of him throwing out the jury and deciding the verdict himself?"

"Yes," Veronica says. "That is our best option."

"I thought we were winning," Hanna says quietly.

"We are," Veronica says. "But with a competent defence lawyer, I…if I were defending him, I'd have had the confession Wren gave to Wilden thrown out months ago based on Wilden's shoddy police work. I just don't want to take the risk."

"Okay," Aria says. "So what happens now?"

"We submit our decision to the judge who will make the final call," Veronica says. "If he decides to continue the trial, with or without the jury, we call Wilden back to the stand, refocus the attention on the confession and not on Ezra. Then we call Jessica."

"Will she come?" Spencer asks, folding her arms

"She's in town," Jason says. "She got in yesterday, she's hiding out at the house until she's needed."

"Who is he calling?" Ezra asks quietly. "As Wren's defence."

"I believe Wren himself is taking to the stand," Veronica says. "In my opinion, another in a long line of dumb decisions that Knight has made, there's no way Wren's going to be able to hold up under cross-examination. He's also called Melissa, as a character witness."

"What?!" Spencer gasps. "Melissa?! Why?"

"She was his girlfriend," Veronica says, shrugging. "She never saw that dark side of him. Plus she's your sister so the jury will be confused. That's all he needs, Spence, doubt."

"Who else?" Caleb asks. "He can't only have two witnesses?"

"No, there's one more that I know of," Veronica says. "A young man called Neil…Roland, I think? He lived in the apartment opposite the one which Wren rented when he was allegedly keeping Alison prisoner."

"Why would he be called to testify?" Emily asks, pulling a face.

"To prove that Wren was there enough that he couldn't be hiding Alison," Veronica says. "He's a flimsy witness and one I don't foresee much trouble in discrediting. Please don't worry about that now though – focus on finishing our side first."

"What do I do?" Ezra says. "What _can_ I do?"

"You can do nothing, for now," Veronica says. "Like I say, we need to focus on this trial. If you want to press charges, which you would be more than entitled to do, I will help you and support you whatever you need. But not until this is over."

"Okay," Ezra says. "Do you guys wanna order food or something? I need to take my mind off what the hell just happened."


	19. Chapter 19

"Good morning," the judge says. "Counsel, have you and your clients made your decision?"

"Yes," Veronica says. "We have decided that we would be happy for you to dismiss the jury."

"Very well," the judge says. "That makes everything a lot easier. I'm going to dismiss the jury but if there are any other indiscretions on the part of either party, I will call for a mistrial." Both lawyers nod and then he continues, "Counsel, do you wish to call Detective Wilden back to the stand?"

"Yes," Veronica says.

Over the next half an hour, the judge explains to the jury that their services are no longer required and then calls Detective Wilden back in.

"Thanks for coming back, Detective," Veronica says. "I just want to bring everyone's attention back to the reason we're all here. When you questioned the defendant, did he say anything to suggest that he wasn't being entirely truthful?"

"I don't think so," Wilden says. "He spoke to us at great length about how and why he'd kidnapped Alison, why he'd kidnapped the girls, his relationships with them, etc. He was very clear from the outset that his relationship with Alison had been physical at the time of her death – the only thing that wasn't entirely clear was her age when he started sleeping with her and how much of their sexual relationship was…voluntary, if manipulated, and how much he forced her to do."

"Very well," Veronica says. "Thank you, Detective. No further questions, Your Honour."

"You're dismissed, Detective," the judge says.

"The prosecution calls Jessica DiLaurentis to the stand," Veronica says and a gasp runs round the room. Aria's eyes flick to Wren, who has spun right round in his seat and has his eyes fixed on the door. It swings open and he visibly angers, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles go white and his eyes bug out of his head.

"Did you know she was coming?" he hisses in Aria's direction, and Aria doesn't reply, simply smirking.

"Good morning, Jessica," Veronica says after Jessica is sworn in. "How are you feeling today?"

"Nervous," Jessica says. "This has tortured me for well over 8 years and I hope…Actually, I don't know why I said that. He took my daughter away from me and nothing will ever make that better."

"I'm sorry," Veronica says. "I'm so sorry for your loss and I cannot even imagine how hard today will be for you. Can you tell me; do you recognise the defendant?"

"Yes," Jessica says.

"What is your relationship with him?" Veronica asks.

"I dated him for about a year," Jessica says. "While I was married."

"I see," Veronica says. "How did you meet him?"

"A bar," Jessica says. "Very stereotypical."

"Did your husband know?" Veronica asks.

"No," Jessica says. "Not to my knowledge anyway."

"What about your daughter?" Veronica asks.

"Yes, my daughter knew about him," Jessica admits. "The three of us went out together sometimes – her dad wasn't home a lot and it was nice for her to have that figure in her life."

"I see," Veronica says. "How did your affair end?"

"Quite naturally," Jessica shrugs. "My husband came back to town and Wren was busy at work and I decided to end it. He was fairly angry but I thought it was okay."

"And how long after your relationship ended did your daughter go missing?" Veronica asks.

"About 6 months?" Jessica says. "I don't know. I just didn't really think about Wren after we split up, we were over and that was that."

"Okay," Veronica says. "Thank you, Jessica. No further questions, Your Honour."

"Hello, Mrs DiLaurentis," James says civilly. "How are you this morning?"

"Fine," Jessica says coldly.

"Good," James says, unperturbed by her rudeness. "Tell me, would you say that your relationship with Wren was ever one meant for…longevity?"

"No," Jessica says. "I was married; it was only ever…it was a fling. I hadn't seen my husband in months and I was weak. It was a terrible mistake and I'm a horrible person for cheating, but I was always very up front with Wren about the situation."

"Was Wren the only person you cheated on your husband with?" James asks.

"No," Jessica says. "My relationship with my husband was extremely unhealthy – we were married for status and money, nothing more, and we spent our entire marriage having one affair after another. Wren was just one in an extremely long line of men."

"Did you introduce Alison, your daughter, to all in what was in your own words an extremely long line of men?" James asks. "Or was Wren special in some way?"

"I didn't introduce her to everyone," Jessica says. "She found out about Wren, she was a very bright girl, and once she knew, there seemed no point in keeping it a secret from her."

"Did her older brother, Jason, know about your relationship with Wren?" James asks.

"You'd have to ask Jason yourself," Jessica says. "But to my knowledge, no he did not."

"Speculation," Veronica says loudly and the judge nods.

"Sustained," he says. "It will be struck from the record."

"Very well," James says. "So you and your daughter Alison spent time with your boyfriend. How did Alison react when your relationship with Wren ended?"

"She was okay," Jessica says. "A little sad maybe that she wouldn't get to see him again, but fine. She had really good friends, she was busy at school. She was a really happy girl and he wasn't that important."

Suddenly there is a loud bang and everybody jumps. Everybody except Wren that is, who has shot to his feet and banged furiously on the table, shouting, "I was so important to her! She loved me!"

"Silence in court!" the judge shouts. "Mr Knight, control your client!"

"Sit down," James hisses.

"She's a liar," Wren protests. "Alison loved me!"

"It took me 4 minutes and 35 seconds to make her forget about you," Jessica taunts. "She never loved you, you psychotic deluded paedophile."

"I'll kill you," Wren shouts. "I will kill all of you, just like I killed her!"

A loud gasp runs around the courtroom and Aria, Jessica and Jason all burst into tears. "What are you saying?" Veronica breathes.

"I did it," Wren says, a crazed look in his eyes. "I kidnapped her, I raped her, I killed her and when I did that, I realised I needed a new doll. I picked Aria – the others were just along for the ride but it did make the game so much more fun. I kidnapped them, I raped her more than once and I'm going to kill her."

"Oh my God," Aria says, moving back so far in her seat that it almost tips over in her urgency to get away.

"Silence in court," the judge says as he finally regains the power of speech. "The court will adjourn for the day while we decide how best to proceed from here."

Immediately, Aria, Spencer and Jason are on their feet, practically running out of the room. Hanna and Emily wait for Jessica and help her out of the courtroom while Ezra, Caleb, Toby and Mike wait until all the girls have left before calmly heading out of the room. Once they get out, however, all hell breaks loose.

"Where is Aria?" Ezra asks Spencer, who is hugging a sobbing Jason tightly. "What happened to Aria?"

"She just ran out, I don't know," Spencer says, clearly dazed.

"I have to find her," Ezra says to Caleb, who is watching a silently weeping Hanna console Jessica.

"I'll come with you," Toby says.

"Me too," Mike says, his voice unsteady as he watches Emily curl up into a ball on the ground.

"Okay," Ezra says, breaking into a run. Toby and Mike chase after him, all shouting her name desperately, but they only get as far as the front steps before they find her. She is curled up in a ball, sobbing to herself. There is a puddle of vomit at the top of the steps which clearly belongs to her; she looks tiny against the grand entrance to the courthouse and Ezra's heart breaks as he sits beside her.

"He's going to kill me," Aria says, wiping her eyes as Mike sits down beside her and Toby kneels on the steps in front of her.

"He's not, babe," Ezra says. "He's just confessed to the whole thing. There's no way he's getting away with it."

"Don't you get it?" Aria says. "None of you understand that he is the cleverest man I have ever met. If he's just confessed in there, it's because it's part of his plan."

"I think Aria's right," Spencer says, walking up behind them. "We need to get her out of here. Get her safe."

"Stop," Toby says, standing up and hugging Spencer tightly as Jason moves to sit behind Aria and puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He's under guard – he can't get to any of you now."

"You're wrong," Hanna says, as she and Emily walk out of the building. "Mrs D is waiting for Mrs Hastings to finish up in court."

"Can you believe what's just happened?" Emily says quietly. "I was convinced he hadn't killed Ali."

"Why?" Caleb asks quietly.

"Because he said so," Aria shrugs. "I trusted him, because if he confessed to everything else, why would he lie about this? But I was wrong – again."

"Aria's right," Spencer says. "He has this ability to make you trust him, and it's only now that I'm seeing how dangerous he really is. He's in chains and I'm still more scared of him than I've ever been of anybody. He's going to kill her and then kill the rest of us for good measure."

"We need to get away," Aria says to Ezra urgently. "Come on, Ezra, please – take me away from here. It's not safe."

"We should all go," Toby says. "Let's all get out of here until the trial finishes."

"And go where?" Caleb asks.

"Somewhere with bulletproof walls and a 24 hour armed guard?" Hanna suggests drily.

"We can arrange for you to have a 24-hour guard here," Ezra says soothingly. "But we can't leave until the trial's officially over."

"Which will be sooner rather than later hopefully," Veronica says, exiting the building. "He's been offered a plea – his lawyer just needs to persuade him to take it."

"What's the plea?" Aria asks quietly.

"2 consecutive life sentences, with no chance of parole," Veronica says. "Since the alternative is the death penalty, I expect he'll take it."

"Don't expect anything," Aria says tightly.

"Veronica, you've done an amazing job with this trial; whatever happens next, we just want to thank you," Emily says tearfully.

"Of course, girls," Veronica says. "Whatever happens next, I want you to know that you're safe."

"I don't think I'm ever going to feel safe again," Aria says. "He's too clever to be cornered like this – he must have a plan."

"Don't overthink it," Ezra says. "It'll be okay."

"I'll be back in a minute," Aria says, getting to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Jason asks.

"I just need some space," Aria says. "Just give me a moment, please."

Before anyone can object, she has walked inside the building. Nobody follows her and so she heads straight back to the courtroom, where James is still talking to the judge and Wren is still sitting at the defence table, handcuffed at the wrists and ankles, surrounded by 6 armed guards.

"Miss Montgomery?" the judge says.

"I want to speak to him," Aria says. "May I?"

"I don't know if-" the judge says.

"Come on," Aria says quietly. "We all know this is over. Either he'll take the plea or the trial will have to start again – whatever happens, it's going to be months before I get this chance again. He's just threatened to kill me. I need this, please."

"I'm not gonna hurt her," Wren says calmly. "You've got guards all over the place. We just need a chat before I go, right Aria?"

"Right," Aria says, her eyes on the judge.

"Okay," the judge says. "Take a seat, Miss Montgomery."

She smiles gratefully and then walks to the front of the room, sitting down in the seat directly beside Wren. "Hello," she says quietly.

"Hi," Wren says. "I've really blown it this time, huh?"

"Yeah," Aria says. "So you gonna tell me the truth this time?"

"The whole truth and nothing but the truth?" Wren teases. "Yeah, I've got nothing else to lie about."

"Okay," Aria says. "So you killed her?"

"Yeah," Wren says. "I just got mad, you know? I loved her so much and she wouldn't come with me. We were arguing and I hit her and she tripped. She hit her head and then she was gone."

"You chopped her up though?" Aria says. "Why did you do that?"

"I knew I had to begin a new game," Wren says, as if it should be obvious. "And I wanted to start it properly. I wanted to scare you as much as I could."

"So you were always going to take me?" Aria asks gently.

"Yes," Wren says. "I needed a new player. I wasn't going to take the others originally, but it was just more convenient."

"Not in the end," Aria says. "I never would have got out if it weren't for the others."

"That's true," Wren says thoughtfully. "It was worth it though. Watching you four look out for each other…it was quite inspiring."

"So you liked us in the end?" Aria smiles.

"Of course," Wren says. "I love you, Aria, more than anything. Surely you know that?"

"You've just said you're gonna kill me," Aria laughs. "Excuse me if I'm a little confused about your feelings."

"I lost control there," Wren says. "I'm…I'm not going to kill you, Aria. I can't now, even if I wanted to. I have no plan. Nobody out there working for me, no traps, no spies, nothing. It's over."

"Do you promise me?" Aria asks. "Are you going to let me live my life?"

"Yeah," Wren says. "You won the game – this is your reward."

"Okay," Aria says. "I'll hold you to that. I just have one more question."

"Okay," Wren says. "Ask away."

"You said you raped me more than once?" Aria says, her voice breaking for the first time.

"I did say that," Wren says. "I'm sorry. I regret it, but I did do it."

"When?" Aria says, brushing a tear off her cheek furiously.

"When you lost your baby," Wren says. "You were out-cold and I…"

"Oh God, Wren," Aria breathes, an air of disappointment hanging around her now. "I need to go. Thank you for being honest with me."

"Aria, will you do me a favour?" Wren asks.

"I don't owe you anything," Aria says angrily.

"I know," Wren says. "But do this and I'll take the plea. Just promise me one thing."

"What is it?" Aria asks quietly.

"Come visit me," Wren says. "Not now, maybe not for a few years. But when you've forgiven me…when you've lived and had children and married and been happy, if you can find it in you to forgive me, come and visit me."

"I will," Aria says. "If you do something for me."

"Anything," Wren says.

"Get help," Aria says. "You can be better than the person that you are."

"I know," Wren says. "Aria, I love you."

"You don't," Aria says. "This isn't love – this is obsession. I just hope that one day you'll understand the difference."

"I'm gonna try," Wren says. "Goodbye, my beautiful doll."

"Goodbye, Wren," Aria says, walking out of the courtroom. She closes the door behind her and exhales shakily, before turning round to see everybody waiting for her.

"What did he say?" Spencer breathes.

"It's over," Aria says.

"Are you sure?" Emily says, tears trickling down her face.

"I'm sure this time," Aria says. "He said he's gonna take the plea – they'll be bringing him out soon."

"Do you want to get out of here before they do?" Ezra asks gently.

"No," Aria says. "I think we should wait on the steps. We can watch them drive him away and then…it's done. We can move on with our lives."

"Okay," Jason says and they all start walking down towards the main entrance. "Are we going to…celebrate?"

"We don't really have much to celebrate," Hanna says quietly.

"I think we should all come back here this evening," Aria says.

"Why?" Caleb asks, putting an arm round a shaking Emily.

"Because Jason's right," Aria says. "And Hanna's right. We should celebrate but we need to have something to celebrate first. So…I would like to get married this evening."

"What?" Ezra says.

"Are you serious?" Spencer says, smiling for the first time in hours.

"Yeah," Aria says. "Ezra, I love you and I am so ready to begin our life together. What better way to close this book than to open a new one?"

"Okay," Ezra says, bending down and kissing her deeply. "I love you."

She hugs him tightly and then sits down on the edge of the steps to wait. Hanna sits beside her and Emily and Spencer sit on the other side. Ezra, Caleb, Toby, Jason, and Mike line the sidewalk, waiting in silence for Wren to be escorted out.

"You know it's weird," Spencer says. "I know he's a rapist and a murderer, but I still feel…"

"I know," Aria says. "Like you're gonna miss it, almost? He's become such a part of us that I don't know how…"

"What life is like without him," Hanna finishes.

"We'll learn again," Emily says. "We'll get used to a life without him. And we'll be happier for it."

"I know," Spencer says. "It's just hard to get used to. The idea that it's really over."

"I agree," Aria says. "Even now, I'm expecting him to jump out and…God I don't even know what."

"He's coming," Jason says, straightening up. "It's time."

They all stand as he is led out of the building by 6 guards. He smiles as he sees them all waiting for him but he doesn't speak until he gets to the bottom of the steps.

"Goodbye, girls," he says clearly, not turning around.

"Goodbye," Aria says calmly.

"Bye, Wren," Spencer says, brushing away her tears.

"Goodbye," Emily says, her voice breaking.

Hanna pauses for a long time, clearly fighting a large lump in her throat before she says, "Bye."

He smiles for a final time, climbs into the police car and then he is gone. Forever.


	20. Chapter 20

"Kingston trial goes down in flames today as Wren accepts a plea bargain," the news reporter says. All the boys are curled up on the sofa watching, while the girls get ready for the wedding upstairs. "The trial restarted only today after a three-day recess – it had previously been adjourned last week when defence attorney James Knight accused victim Aria Montgomery's boyfriend Ezra Fitz of being a sexual predator. Today Judge Garner dismissed the jury, having agreed with both parties that he would make the overriding decision."

"Following this, prosecuting attorney Veronica Hastings called Detective Darren Wilden back to the stand for a brief time, before calling surprise witness and mother of the deceased, Jessica DiLaurentis," the reporter continues. "DiLaurentis, 39, confessed to a year-long affair with the accused, Wren Kingston, but when she alleged that Alison DiLaurentis, victim, did not care that her mother had broken off the affair, Kingston lost his temper and confessed to all his crimes, including several of which he was not accused. In particular, he shockingly admitted to the murder of Alison DiLaurentis, and proceeded to threaten to kill his self-proclaimed favourite Aria Montgomery."

"Judge Garner called for a recess immediately after, at which point Veronica Hastings offered Kingston a plea bargain of two consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole," the reporter says. "Our sources report that Kingston had a short meeting with Montgomery before accepting the plea. Victims Spencer Hastings, Emily Fields and Hanna Marin joined Aria in watching Kingston being taken away before they returned home."

"We are joined now with a panel of law and body language experts to discuss what is already being described as the trial of the century," the reporter continues. "Carl Granger, Katherine Lewis and Peter Jamm, welcome."

"Thank you," Katherine says warmly.

"Now, the trial has come to a very early conclusion," the reporter says. "Often these trials can go on for months, can't they?"

"Yes, they can," Carl says. "But I think it was a good thing it ended when it did. We have to remember how traumatic and damaging this whole experience has been, not just for the victims themselves but for their families, their loved ones, everybody involved. This was a simple conclusion to a case that has been anything but and I'm sure they're all glad to put it behind them."

"I don't think it's fair to pretend it's going to be anything like as simple as that," Peter says. "Everybody involved has been through an ordeal beyond anything we can imagine, and the recovery is going to be so difficult. Honestly, we have to respect the fact that Aria, Spencer and Jessica managed to speak at the trial at all."

"Of course," the reporter says. "Now it was Jessica who brought about this most shocking turn of events, as Wren confessed he killed her daughter. Were you surprised at this confession?"

"I think the confession shocked everyone," Katherine says. "And I must admit I was surprised he was the one who killed Alison, as I think the girls all were."

"Definitely," Carl says. "I think this deeply affected Aria in particular – it's been widely reported how close she and Alison were and obviously this is a devastating blow."

"It is, but we also have to consider her relationship with Wren," Peter says. "She's the only one who he claims to have loved, she's the only one he allowed to have a private conversation with him after the trial, she thought she knew and understood him, and now…he's changed his story again. Every time any of them come to terms with the tragedy that has happened to them, Wren throws another curveball to send them straight back to square one."

"Her relationship with Wren certainly is an interesting one, wouldn't you say?" the reporter prods.

"Oh, fascinating," Katherine says. "Watching the two of them over the course of the trial has been a dream – there's definitely an element of affection there, at least from his side, and a surprising level of trust-"

"Oh turn it off," Spencer says as she comes down the stairs. She has changed into a floor length purple gown, paired with silver heels and a little bag. Her hair is half pinned up and she looks beautiful, if a little tearful.

"Wow," Toby says as the men all get to their feet. "You look-"

"Yes, yes, I know," Spencer says, but she's smiling fondly. "Listen, the four of you need to get going – we'll be ready to leave real soon." She turns to Mike and says, "Aria would like you to give her away if you don't mind? She's upset that your parents can't be here, but you're definitely a good second."

"Of course," Mike says, sitting back down.

"Have you called everyone?" Spencer asks Caleb.

"Yes," Caleb nods. "Mona, Lucas, Noel and Sean, Zac and Ben."

"Good," Spencer says. "Call Hanna's parents? And Emily's? And Dr Sullivan of course. And Wilden. And Jason, your mom. Anyone who wants to come is welcome."

"I haven't called my parents," Ezra says. "I doubt they'll approve and I didn't really want the drama today."

"Okay," Spencer says. "You should really go though – we'll see you at the courthouse in like an hour?"

"Fine," the boys chorus.

* * *

"She's here," Jason says as he strides into the room. "You ready?"

"Yes," Ezra says, nodding. Jason hurries back out, disappears for a few moments and then returns to his seat, right at the front.

Spencer comes in first, beautiful and beaming as she walks down the aisle. She looks around the room in awe; Ezra has really gone all out to give Aria the perfect wedding. Pulling every favour he has, he has converted the judge's office into the most beautiful venue. The room has an aisle down the centre, a beautiful arch made of flowers and is wonderfully decorated. Spencer sighs happily as she floats to the front, hugs Ezra tightly and then moves to stand with Toby.

Hanna appears next; she is similarly dressed in a floor-length purple dress and has pinned her hair up to look as graceful as she has ever been. She moves to the front, kisses Ezra on the cheek, squeezes Toby's arm and then goes to Caleb's side, hugging him tightly.

Emily is next – wearing the same bridesmaid dress and the same joy-filled smile. She is in tears as she looks around the room, but she makes it to the front, hugs Ezra and then goes to sit next to Jason.

Finally, the doors swing open and Aria appears. For a moment, it's like all the air has been sucked out of the room - Ezra cannot breathe – and then his heart overflows with love and he starts to cry. Aria is dressed in a simple white gown, floor length and strapless, beautiful and angelic. She has piled her hair up in an incredibly complicated bun and her veil cascades down from underneath it to trail behind her. She is clinging onto Mike's arm as she looks around the room in awe and then finally she reaches the front and they are together.

"Dearly beloved," the registrar says, voice ringing out in the silence, "we have gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Ezra Fitzgerald and Aria Marie Montgomery. Marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, who trust that love, who honour one another as individuals in that togetherness, and who wish to spend rest of their lives together. It enables the two separate souls to share their desires, longings, dreams, and memories, their joys and sorrows, and to help each other through all uncertainties of life." He gestures to Ezra, who breathes in.

"Aria Marie Montgomery," he says softly. "I never thought, in all my years, that true love existed. I am a romantic and I am a writer, but I am also a realist and I have always prided myself on my ability to separate fantasy from reality. Fantasy is the big white wedding, the Prince Charming and the happily ever after. Real life, as we both now know, is a lot messier. But Aria, you are my happily ever after. You are everything I could ever want and more. You inspire me every single day and I will never stop loving you. And so, even if the happily ever after involves fighting and crying and all kinds of stress, it will still be our happily ever after because we will be together."

Aria is crying so hard it takes her a moment to compose herself. "Ezra Fitzgerald," she says eventually. "I can honestly say that without you in my life, I would not be here today. Through all my hardest times – and there have been a lot – I need only to think of you and I know that I will survive. Because, even with so much darkness and so much pain, you are my light and my sun and my love and I can always see a way through, with you by my side. So no, I am not your happily ever after. I am not your fantasy. I am your life as you are mine and we are not ending anything. This isn't happily ever after, Ezra. This is a new beginning and I am so happy to be starting again with you. I love you so much."

Ezra and Aria glance around at the room and laugh to see all the girls in tears. Hanna whips a tissue out of Spencer's bag, Mona is wiping her eyes and Emily is sobbing into a tissue.

"Ezra Fitzgerald, do you take Aria Marie Montgomery to be your wife? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honour and keep her in sickness and in health, remaining faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," he says, voice ringing out victorious.

"Aria Marie Montgomery, do you take Ezra Fitzgerald to be your husband? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honour and keep him in sickness and in health, remaining faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she says, tears pouring down her face.

"Repeat after me," the registrar says, "I take you, Aria Marie Montgomery, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day on, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish for all the days of my life. I will take care of and honour our relationship. I will always be open, honest and faithful to you, and love you today, tomorrow and forever." Ezra repeats it, tears starting to drip down his face.

"And Aria, repeat after me," he continues, "I take you, Ezra Fitzgerald, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day on, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish for all the days of my life. I will take care of and honour our relationship. I will always be open, honest and faithful to you, and love you today, tomorrow and forever." Aria echoes him, almost incoherent through her sobs.

"May I have the rings?" he asks. Caleb and Spencer both jump up, presenting them to the registrar, trying to pretend they're not crying.

"Repeat after me, please, as you place the ring on Aria's finger," he says, handing one of the rings to Ezra. "This ring, which has no beginning and no end, symbolizes the love and trust between us that will never cease. May its presence on your hand remind you of my love and vow. I place it on your finger as a visible sign of the promises, which have made us husband and wife."

Ezra and Aria both echo him, Aria trying to stop crying long enough to actually get the words out. Then the registrar turns to the crowd gathered and says, "Until now Aria Marie Montgomery and Ezra Fitzgerald have spent each moment of their lives as separate individuals. But from this day on, and every day after, each moment shall be shared and spent as one. By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you to be husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Ezra turns to Aria and beaming, he leans down, kissing her so passionately he himself could burst into flames and he wouldn't notice. "I love you," he murmurs when he eventually pulls away, placing one final chaste kiss on her lips before turning to their family and friends.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the registrar announces, "I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Fitz."


	21. Chapter 21

21

"Honey, I'm home," Aria shouts as she stumbles through the front door.

"Aria, it's 10 o'clock in the morning," Ezra says as he walks into the hall. "Where have you been?"

"Em's house," Aria says. "It's just easier to crash there when we're in town."

"Well they've been asking after you," Ezra says, stepping aside so she can enter the kitchen.

"Momma," Cassie and James chorus.

"Hey, baby," Aria laughs as Cassie jumps into her arms. "How was your breakfast? Did Daddy make pancakes?"

"Yes," James says. "I had bananas with mine."

"Oh, sounds yummy," Aria says. "What time is your swimming class?"

"11.30," James says. "Daddy said he's going to pick Jess up on the way."

"You hero," Aria says. "What time am I supposed to be taking Cassie to gymnastics?"

As Ezra begins talking, Aria's phone beeps in her bag. As she pulls it out, she grimaces, swipes away the text and puts it down on the counter. "Are you listening?" he asks.

"No, sorry," she says sincerely. "Tell me one more time."

"Gymnastics starts at 2.30," he says. "And everyone is getting here at 7, so please don't take her out shopping again."

"That was one time," she laughs, leaning in and kissing him. Once again, her phone beeps; she glances down and then turns it over so it is face down.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yes, of course," she says. "Will you get James ready for swimming?"

"Come on, little man," he says, helping his son down from the kitchen stool.

"Cass, go and watch telly," she says. "I'll be in in a minute to plait your hair." Cassie disappears and then Aria sighs, looking down at her phone and waiting for it to ring. When it finally does, she picks it up as fast as she can.

"Yes, I'll accept the charges," she says before the voice even starts. It rings once and then she hears a man's breathing.

"Hello," he says eventually.

"Hi, Wren," she says. "It's been a long time."

"Indeed it has," he says. "You've managed to have two children."

"How do you even _know_ that?" she asks. "Last I heard, you were in solitary."

"Well, they let me out of solitary a couple of months ago," he says. "I've been taking a lot of art classes – I hear it's soothing for the mind."

"Yeah and your mind needs all the soothing it can get," she says drily. "You didn't answer my question."

"Because I don't want to answer it," he says frankly. "Honestly, Aria, you're a bit snappy today. Hungover? I heard you were out late partying with the girls."

"Who told you that?" she shouts. "Where are you getting this information?"

"You sound scared, Aria," he says. "You aren't glad to hear from an old friend?"

"Wren, we were not friends," she says. "You harassed me and tortured me and almost killed me."

"But we had fun too," he says.

"You had fun!" she shouts. "I was in therapy for years!"

"Yes, I've seen the files," he says. "Is it true you miss me?"

"Fuck you," she says, hanging up the phone.

"Mommy!" Cassie shouts from the living room; Aria swallows the bile which is climbing up her throat and heads in to braid her daughter's hair.

* * *

"Evening!" Spencer says as she walks into the house, carrying two pies. Behind her, Toby is carrying their son, Ben, on his shoulders, and further down the path, Hanna and Caleb are swinging their daughter, Jessica, in between them.

"Hey, Spence," Aria says, taking the pies and leaning in to hug her best friend.

"Are you okay?" Spencer asks, concerned. "You're shaking."

"Just cold, I guess," she says.

"It's pretty warm in here," Toby says as he steps over the threshold.

"Maybe I'm getting sick," Aria says, but she can't meet their eyes. Spencer fixes her with a suspicious gaze but she is distracted by a bundle running for her legs.

"Auntie Spencer!" Cassie shouts; Spencer catches her before they collide and swings her round in the air, laughing.

"Hey babe," Hanna says as she walks into the house.

"Hi guys," Aria says, reaching down and tickling under Jessica's chin. "Hey, chick, how you doing?"

"Auntie Aria, I'm not a chicken," Jess says, giggling loudly.

"Oh silly me," Aria says, pulling a face; Hanna doesn't miss how the laughter doesn't touch her eyes.

"Dinner in here?" Caleb asks, sticking his head into the dining room. "Oh, there's the man of the hour! Happy Birthday, James!"

"Uncle Caleb, it's not my birthday until Tuesday," James says.

"And how old will you be?" Caleb asks as he picks him up. James thinks hard, clearly counting, before he holds up 4 chubby fingers; Ezra and Aria both clap loudly.

"That's right," Spencer says, grabbing James and tickling his tummy. "Aren't you clever?"

"I'm the oldest in my class," James says.

"Oh really?" Spencer says. "You'll have to be very grown-up then?" James nods seriously and Aria smiles fondly, still not really focused.

"Can I have a word?" Hanna asks, catching Aria's arm. Before the brunette can even respond, Hanna has dragged her into the downstairs loo and she hisses, "What's wrong?"

For a moment, Aria considers denying it. Then she sighs and hands Hanna her phone; the blonde scrolls through the texts and call log, her eyes growing wider by the second.

"18 missed calls?" she says incredulously. "How long has this been going on?"

"Just today," Aria replies. "He called this morning and I spoke to him and he…he knows things, Hanna. Things it should be impossible for him to know."

"We can call the jail," Hanna says. "Get him put back in solitary."

"What if he's already out?" Aria hisses. "How else would he know all this stuff?"

"I'm sure he's still got sources," Hanna begins.

"Who has?" Spencer asks, as she joins them. Hanna passes her the phone wordlessly; Spencer's mouth falls open and she looks back to Aria sadly. "Babe, I'm so sorry," she says. "We'll fix it. We'll stop him."

"And if he's out already?" Aria says. "What if my children aren't safe?"

"Have you told Ezra about this?" Hanna asks.

"Told Ezra what?" Emily asks, joining them. Spencer passes the phone on and looks straight back to Aria, who shakes her head.

"Oh, Aria, you have to," Spencer says.

"Spencer's right," Emily says, running her hand through her hair. "He deserves to know."

"Who deserves to know what?" Ezra asks, opening the door to the bathroom. "Why are you all in our downstairs bathroom?" As they file out, he catches Aria's arm. "Aria, this package came for you."

Aria tenses, taking the package and glancing at the girls, who are all looking at it fearfully. She turns it over and opens the card first.

 **'Ready for Round 2? – A'**

* * *

 _ **Hey all! Sorry for such a long break and now a really short chapter! Really this is just pitching the idea of a sequel to see if there's any interest out there? I'm not sure if I want to write it but I wanted to wrap this story up somehow. Hope you all enjoyed it and thanks for reading! Happy New Year x**_


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